PRIME MINISTER

Downing Street Political Office

Francis Maude: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 3 December 2007,  Official Report, columns 848-9W, on the Downing Street Political Office, when the post of Administrator of the Downing Street Political Office was established.

Gordon Brown: I have nothing further to add to the answer I gave the hon. Member on 3 December 2007,  Official Report, columns 848-9W.

History: Publications

Keith Simpson: To ask the Prime Minister how many Government-sponsored, official histories are in preparation; when each was commissioned; who the authors are; what the estimated date of completion is in each case; what the estimated cost in each case is; and which official histories commissioned have not been published.

Gordon Brown: holding answer 21 April 2008
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my predecessor (the right hon. Tony Blair) on 28 February 2005,  Official Report, columns 918-19W.
	Additional information is set out as follows:
	The following official histories have been published:
	Churchill's Man of Mystery: Desmond Morton and the World of Intelligence by Gill Bennett (published, 2006);
	The Channel Tunnel by Dr. Terry Gourvish (published, 2006);
	The Falkland's Campaign (Volumes 1 and 2) by Professor Lawrence Feedman (first published, 2005).
	The following official histories have been commissioned:
	Cabinet Secretaries by Ian Beesley in 2007;
	Joint Intelligence Committee by Dr. Michael Goodman in 2007;
	UK Accession to the EEC, Volume 2 by Sir Stephen Wall in 2007;
	SOE in Italy, Volume 2 by, Professor David Stafford in 2005
	In the financial year 2006-07, the latest year for which accounts have been published, the net cost was £176,000. This includes fees and expenses of historian and research assistants and costs associated with publication, but excludes staff costs of Cabinet Office administrative support and accommodation-related overheads. This cost is borne on the Cabinet Office vote.

Mobile Phones

David Gauke: To ask the Prime Minister how many mobile telephones he has been provided with since becoming Prime Minister.

Gordon Brown: None.

SCOTLAND

Barnett Formula

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the use to which the Barnett formula paper will be put.

Des Browne: I meet my right hon. Friend regularly to discuss a range of issues. The aim of the Treasury's forthcoming factual Barnett Formula paper is to better inform the debate.

Barnett Formula

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the use of the Barnett formula paper.

David Cairns: I meet my right hon. Friend regularly to discuss a range of issues. The aim of the Treasury's forthcoming factual Barnett formula paper is to better inform the debate.

Gas Production

Robert Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on policy to encourage new gas production in the West of Shetland area.

David Cairns: The Government are committed to providing regulatory and fiscal regimes that will deliver the best future for the UKCS including the area west of Shetland. This includes a joint Government/industry task force to determine whether there is a collective solution to the development of the resource base west of Shetland.

Nuclear Power

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the First Minister on the contribution made by nuclear power to Scotland's energy needs.

David Cairns: I have had no such discussions with the First Minister. The Government firmly believe that nuclear energy will be an essential component in a low carbon energy future and should have an important role in Scotland's future electricity mix.

Gross Domestic Product

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the most recent gross domestic product growth figures for Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: The most recent Scottish GDP figures, covering the year to 2007 Quarter 4, show annual economic growth of 2.2 per cent. This is above the long-run trend rate of growth, which is 1.9 per cent.

International Development

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the First Minister on the co-ordination of international development work by the Scottish Executive and the Department for International Development.

Des Browne: No such discussion have taken place. Department for International Development officials maintain contact with their Scottish Executive counterparts, to ensure international development policies remain complementary to the UK Government's overall objectives.
	We are aware that the Scottish Executive has recently consulted on the focus of their policies in this area, and we will consider the future outcome of this exercise.

Subsea Oil and Gas

Frank Doran: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the value of the sub-sea oil and gas sector in the North Sea to the Scottish economy.

David Cairns: In 2007, 42,000 people were employed in the subsea sector across the UK, generating revenues in excess of $8.5 billion—up nearly 30 per cent. from 2006. Estimates for the value of the subsea sector to the Scottish Economy are not available, but Scottish subsea companies are already world leaders in technology supply and operations and are well placed to capitalise on the massive global growth in this sector expected over the next three years.

Executive Grant

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the likely change to the grant to the Scottish Executive in the next Comprehensive Spending Review period.

Des Browne: In each successive year of the current spending review period the Scottish Executive will receive a record amount of money, and by 2011 will be in receipt of double the amount available to Donald Dewar in the first years of devolution. This level of public spending across the UK has been made possible by a decade of economic growth and stability delivered by this Government.

National Minimum Wage

James McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues on the effects on people in Scotland of the national minimum wage.

David Cairns: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland has regular meetings with ministerial colleagues where a number of issues are discussed.
	87,000 people in Scotland will benefit from the annual increase to the national minimum wage that will come into force in October. We are very proud of the national minimum wage, and that it is a vital employment right that continues to make a tangible difference to the lives of many working Scots.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Departmental Publications

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the Answer of 1 April 2008,  Official Report, column 737W, on departmental publications, if he will place in the Library a copy of section 1(c) on allowances and section 1(g) on working overseas of his Department's web-based human resources information system.

Douglas Alexander: I have arranged to place in the Library copies of section 1(c) on allowances and section 1(g) on working overseas of the Department for International Development's web-based human resources information system, Peoplesight.

Developing Countries: Economic Growth

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps the Government have taken in the last year to assist developing countries to  (a) manage economic growth and  (b) deal with changes as a result of growth.

Gillian Merron: The information requested is as follows:
	 (a) The UK Government have committed £37 million over the next three years to establish an International Growth Centre. The centre will bring world-class experts to developing countries to help them put in place policies that support growth and undertake research on new challenges to growth—for example, on low carbon growth. We also work directly with partner countries to develop prioritised growth strategies that fit their own circumstances. The Department for International Development is also working to promote trade policies that help developing countries trade and will spend £409 million ($750 million) a year on aid for trade up to 2010 to build infrastructure and trade capacity in developing countries.
	 (b) DFID supports developing countries, as appropriate to each country, to identify and manage the consequences of growth to ensure that growth can be sustained in the long-run, the vulnerable are protected and that economic growth lifts as many people out of poverty as possible.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Departmental Pay

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 1 April 2008,  Official Report, columns 734-35W, in what capacity each of the temporary staff referred to in the table was employed, broken down by hourly rate of pay.

Shaun Woodward: The following tables set out the equivalent grade of each of the temporary staff. The grades shown are NIO grades, with the equivalent civil service grades shown in brackets.
	
		
			  March 2007 
			  Hourly rate of pay  Capacity 
			 17.26 Grade A (Grade 7) 
			 15.82 Grade Bl (SEO) 
			 13.72 Grade B2 (HEO) 
			 11.48 Grade B2 (HEO) 
			 11.32 Grade C (EO) 
			 9.38 Grade C (EO) 
			 7.88 Grade C (EO) 
			 5.51 Grade D2 (AA) 
		
	
	
		
			  February 2008 
			  Hourly rate of pay  Capacity 
			 18.25 Grade A (Grade 7) 
			 17.79 Grade A (Grade 7) 
			 16.25 Grade Bl (SEO) 
			 14.02 Grade B2 (HEO) 
			 11.87 Grade B2 (HEO) 
			 11.75 Grade C (EO) 
			 11.60 Grade B2 (HEO) 
			 8.23 Grade C (EO) 
			 5.78 Grade D2 (AA)

Disabled

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what targets his Department has set in relation to its employment of people with disabilities over the next five years.

Shaun Woodward: The 10-Point Plan for a Diverse Civil Service, published in November 2005, by the Cabinet Office set a target that 3.2 per cent. of senior civil service (SCS) posts are to be filled by people with disabilities by April 2008. Progress against these targets is available on the civil service website at:
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/about/diversity/monitoring.asp
	Final measurements of achievement will be available by October 2008.
	Departments were encouraged to set their own targets and the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) Diversity Delivery Plan for 2007-08 and 2008-09 sets out the following challenging targets in this respect:
	
		
			   Target (percentage) 
			 Within the senior civil service grades 7.0 
			 Within senior civil service feeder grades 3.2 
		
	
	The NIO is currently working with Cabinet Office colleagues in preparing a future diversity strategy to build on the achievements and lessons learned from the 10-Point Plan.

IRA

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will hold discussions with the leaders of Sinn Fein following the forthcoming independent monitoring commission report on the timing of an announcement by the Army Council of the Provisional IRA that it is to cease to exist.

Shaun Woodward: I will continue to have discussions with representatives of Sinn Fein about a wide range of subjects. I believe that all paramilitary structures from Northern Ireland's past have no place in the future of Northern Ireland.

WOMEN AND EQUALITY

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities whether any of the Government Equalities Office's special advisers have outside appointments.

Barbara Follett: Special advisers are appointed under terms and conditions set out in the Model Contract and Code of Conduct for Special Advisers, copies of which are in the Library of the House.
	The special adviser to the Minister for Women and Equalities does not have any outside appointments.

WALES

Electronic Government

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether mechanisms are in place to monitor the extent to which his Department's  (a) internal and  (b) external (i) correspondence and (ii) distribution of publications is carried out electronically.

Paul Murphy: My Department's systems are set up to receive and respond to external correspondence electronically sent to our central email address.
	Our electronic records management system provides the archive of all correspondence to and from the office, whether originally in electronic or physical form. It reports correspondence by total and category, and does not analyse the percentage received or despatched in electronic or paper form.
	Our departmental report is published in physical form, through the stationery office, as have been certain other major documents such as in 2005 the Government of Wales Bill, with its explanatory notes, and the like. All publications are posted to the Wales Office website. We have mechanisms now to monitor the number of publication pages viewed.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Cromwell Green Entrance

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission when the Commission's review of lessons learned from the Visitor Reception Building project will be completed; and whether it will be published.

Nick Harvey: The review of lessons learned from the Visitor Reception Building project is expected to be completed by the summer. The main findings will be published in due course.

Cromwell Green Entrance

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Southend, West (Mr. Amess) of 12 December 2007,  Official Report, columns 246-7W, who was appointed as recovery project manager.

Nick Harvey: Mr. Roy Davis of Roy Davis Associates was appointed recovery project manager for the Visitor Reception Building project.

Drinking Water

John Spellar: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker) of 31 March 2008,  Official Report, column 456W, on drinking water, when the House of Commons Commission expects the Administration Committee to reach a conclusion on the policy of the provision of drinking water in meetings.

Nick Harvey: I am informed that the Committee considered an update on provision of water in committee rooms at its meeting on 1 April, and agreed not to recommend any change to the current arrangements.

Meat

John Spellar: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission whether the Refreshment Department purchases its  (a) pork and  (b) bacon from British sources.

Nick Harvey: In purchasing meat for use by its catering service, the House of Commons places high importance on animal welfare standards and requires full traceability, generally by ensuring that sources are approved under a recognised farm assurance scheme. All fresh pork, bacon and pork sausages are purchased from British sources. Currently, all fresh pork meat is supplied from free-range pigs reared and slaughtered in West Sussex; bacon is cured in East Anglia from animals reared and slaughtered in Norfolk; sausages are made from free range pork reared and slaughtered in North Yorkshire.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Broadcasting: Standards

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what his timetable is for the implementation of the transmission standard DVB-T2.

Andy Burnham: The matter raised is the responsibility of the Office of Communications (Ofcom) as independent regulator for the communications sector. Accordingly, I have asked the chief executive of Ofcom to reply directly to the hon. Member. Copies of the chief executive's letter will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding was provided to  (a) museums, galleries and libraries,  (b) the arts,  (c) sport and  (d) heritage from (i) the public purse and (ii) lottery funding in each year since 1997, expressed in 2007-08 prices.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The figures requested are given in the following tables.
	
		
			  Museums, galleries and libraries funding at 2006-07 prices 
			  £ million 
			  Financial year  Museums, galleries and libraries funded through DCMS.  Museums, galleries and libraries HLF 
			 1997-98 401.4 160.5 
			 1998-99 363.2 175.3 
			 1999-2000 391.0 107.7 
			 2000-01 391.5 106.3 
			 2001-02 414.9 119.4 
			 2002-03 431.2 118.3 
			 2003-04 440.4 112.9 
			 2004-05 442.4 157.4 
			 2005-06 468.2 116.0 
			 2006-07 489.2 83.1 
			 2007-08(1) 526.3 (2)— 
			 (1) Plans (2) Figures not yet available.  Note: DCMS funded data extracted from the audited, published, Appropriation Accounts and Resource Accounts 
		
	
	The figures in the 'Museum, galleries and libraries funded through DCMS' column represents grant in aid funding of the 22 DCMS sponsored museums, the British Library and Public Lending Right and the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council; in addition to the six independent bodies receiving grants. All figures are adjusted to 2006-07 prices and include both resource and capital spending.
	The information in the lottery column represents the value of awards by the Heritage Lottery Fund to museums, galleries and libraries. This information has been supplied directly by the Heritage Lottery Fund and are not comparable to lottery figures for arts and sport which are drawn down from the National Lottery Distribution Fund. The figures are for the UK as a whole and are adjusted for 2006-07 prices.
	
		
			  Arts funding for England in 2006-07 prices 
			  £ million 
			  Financial year  Arts funded through DCMS  Lottery drawdown 
			 1997-98 244.4 393.2 
			 1998-99 242.4 388.3 
			 1999-2000 273.3 248.6 
			 2000-01 280.1 256.9 
			 2001-02 289.7 249.7 
			 2002-03 334.8 198.8 
			 2003-04 396.8 197.5 
			 2004-05 418.2 231.1 
			 2005-06 422.4 197.5 
			 2006-07 431.2 147.0 
			 2007-08 412.9 (1)— 
			 (1) Figures not yet available  Note: DCMS funded data extracted from the audited, published, Appropriation Accounts and Resource Accounts 
		
	
	The figures in the 'Arts funded through DCMS' column represent grant in aid to the Arts Council England and central departmental expenditure on the arts, adjusted for 20067-07 prices. They include spending under the Capital Modernisation Fund which represents £78.5 million (in cash terms) between 2002-03 and 2004-05.
	The lottery data represent funding drawdown by the Arts Council for England only.
	
		
			  Sport funding for England on 2006-07 prices 
			  £ million 
			  Financial year  Sport funded through DCMS  Lottery drawdown 
			 1997-98 62.4 190.2 
			 1998-99 59.9 433.4 
			 1999-2000 61.4 298.2 
			 2000-01 61.7 271.6 
			 2001-02 73.1 340.8 
			 2002-03 148.0 342.1 
			 2003-04 134.8 256.3 
			 2004-05 230.6 179.3 
			 2005-06 280.3 207.9 
			 2006-07 378.0 121.4 
			 2007-08(1) 399.3 (2)— 
			 (1) To date. (2) Figures not yet available.  Note: DCMS funded data extracted from the audited, published, Appropriation Accounts and Resource Accounts. 
		
	
	The figures in the 'Sport funded through DCMS' column represent DCMS grant in aid to Sport England, UK Sport and the Football Licensing Authority, and central departmental expenditure on Sports adjusted for 2006-07 prices. They include grants for School Sport from the Department for Children, Schools and Families which represents an additional £797.1 million (in cash terms) between 2002-03 and 2007-08.
	The figures in the lottery column represent the value of grants awarded in England by Sport England only. These are derived from the Department's lottery grant database which uses information supplied by the lottery distributors.
	They do not include the value of grants by the big lottery fund and its predecessor the new opportunities fund, under various sport related funding programmes.
	
		
			  Heritage public expenditure for England 
			  £ million 
			  Financial year  Heritage funded through DCMS  Heritage lottery drawdown 
			 1997-98 226.9 165.8 
			 1998-99 204.9 237.6 
			 1999-2000 203.6 329.7 
			 2000-01 205.5 339.8 
			 2001-02 210.2 300.2 
			 2002-03 199.0 294.1 
			 2003-04 202.8 349.5 
			 2004-05 205.5 323.8 
			 2005-06 201.7 385.0 
			 2006-07 208.0 367.2 
			 2007-08(1) 213.3 (2)— 
			 (1) To date. (2) Figures not yet available.  Note: DCMS funded data extracted from the audited, published, Appropriation Accounts and Resource Accounts 
		
	
	The figures in the 'Heritage funded through DCMS' column include grant in aid to English Heritage, the National Heritage Memorial Fund, the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, the Churches Conservation Trust and the Occupied Royal Palaces, together with central department expenditure on the Listed Places of Worship Grant scheme, Memorial Grant scheme, Royal Parks, Royal Household property Services, Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust, Greenwich Foundation, Historic Royal Palaces and Theatres Trust.
	The figures in the lottery column represent the value of grants awarded in England by the Heritage Lottery Fund which is a UK wide distributor, so the figures are not for England only.
	All figures are adjusted to 2006-07 prices using information in the GDP deflator tables provided by the Office for National Statistics and available from the Treasury website:
	www.hm-treasury.gov.uk
	I have been advised that updated tables to adjust figures to 2007-08 prices will be available toward the end of the summer.

Journalism: Regulation

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what his policy is on the harmonisation of regulations affecting newspaper and broadcast reporting; and if he will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: News and current affairs regulation in broadcasting is covered by the statutory Ofcom Broadcasting Code and the BBC Editorial Guidelines.
	There are no statutory regulations affecting newspaper reporting. The press is self-regulating through the Press Complaints Commission (PCC). The PCC and the broadcasting regulators do seek to work together where appropriate. An example of this is the agreement in 2004 between Ofcom and the PCC to support a voluntary ban of "media scrums", when media representatives congregate in large numbers to cover a news story.
	At present the Government have no plans for the harmonisation of regulations affecting newspaper and broadcast reporting.

TRANSPORT

Biofuels: Standards

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she plans to introduce mandatory minimum standards for biofuels used to comply with the renewable transport fuel obligations; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government announced in June 2007 that they aimed by April 2011 to introduce mandatory sustainability standards for all biofuels used under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO), provided, among other things, that this was consistent with European Union legislation.
	In January 2008, the European Commission issued a draft Renewable Energy Directive which includes proposed mandatory sustainability standards for all biofuels supported by EU member states. As currently drafted, the Directive would not allow member states to introduce any additional or different sustainability requirements on the biofuels they supported. The UK is therefore negotiating to ensure that the Directive's sustainability requirements are as robust and comprehensive as possible.
	The draft Directive currently includes a proposed implementation date of 31 March 2010.

Departmental Sick Leave

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many of her Department's staff took more than  (a) five,  (b) 10,  (c) 15,  (d) 20,  (e) 25,  (f) 30,  (g) 35 and  (h) 40 days leave due to stress in each of the last five years, broken down by pay grade.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The detailed information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, the following table demonstrates the number of occurrences of staff taking stress-related leave in each of the last five years:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2003 113 
			 2004 168 
			 2005 196 
			 2006 190 
			 2007 240 
		
	
	This table excludes DVLA and VOSA statistics as they could provide these data only at disproportionate cost.

Karian and Box

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the value was of each contract awarded by her Department and its predecessors to Karian and Box since 1997.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department was formed in May 2002. Since this date the Department has not awarded any contracts to Karian and Box.

M25: M3

David Wilshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the experiment with revised lane arrangements at the junction between the M25 and the M3 is expected to end; what timetable she has for making decisions on permanent lane arrangements in the light of the experiment; when works required for permanent lane arrangements will be completed; and what plans she has to terminate the temporary speed restrictions in place at the junction.

Tom Harris: The trial has shown a significant journey time reliability improvement and an independent survey undertaken in 2007-08 shows support from those who travel through the junction. The Highways Agency has secured funding to deliver the scheme during this financial year and its current intention is for the works to take place between January and March 2009.
	However, the final decision about making the trial permanent including the implementation of the 50 mph speed limit will be subject to a statutory consultation expected to take place over a 12 week period this summer. A final decision will be taken at the end of that process.

Railways: Expenditure

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was spent on  (a) road and  (b) rail improvement projects in each Government region in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: Figures for departmental expenditure on national roads and railways by (Government office) region are available in Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses, published by HM Treasury. PESA 2007, the latest available edition, gives spend figures for 2005-06 in table 9.19. Total figures for improvement projects are not available separately.

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Audio Equipment: Licensing

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will make it his policy to introduce a system for the licensing of new wireless microphones and in-ear monitor equipment when it is purchased; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: I am aware of the concerns of the Programme Making and Special Events (PMSE) community in respect of their use of spectrum and possible issues of interference. However the proposal that equipment be licensed at the point of purchase is not being considered at present. There is a strong possibility that this would impose burdens on vendors and others that are not proportionate to the scale of the problem at present. The Office of Communications (Ofcom) continue to consult on their proposals in respect of PMSE and I would encourage the PMSE community to respond to those consultations to express their concerns. I have asked my officials to discuss this matter further with Ofcom in the light of any submission made.

Departmental Information and Communications Technology

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the Answer of 27 March 2008,  Official Report, column 328W, on departmental ICT, what categories of data were stored on each missing or stolen laptop; and what level of encryption or security was in place on each laptop.

Gareth Thomas: The information requested was not collected or recorded at the time of the loss or theft. As a result of the Government's Review of Data Handling this information will be recorded in the future.

Departmental Manpower

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what his Department's expenditure on  (a) salaries for those in permanent civil service posts,  (b) salaries for those in permanent non-civil service posts and  (c) payments to temporary and agency workers was in each month since May 2005.

Gareth Thomas: The Department's expenditure on salaries for those in permanent civil service posts, salaries for those in permanent non-civil service posts and payments to temporary and agency workers in each month since May 2005 is as follows:
	
		
			  All figures in  £000 
			  Wages and Salaries  April  2005  May  2005  June  2005  July  2005  August  2005  September  2005 
			 Salaries—Permanent 9,397 9,406 9,403 9,928 10,153 10,677 
			 Salaries—Secondees -18 28 38 16 20 20 
			 Salaries—Casuals 40 38 34 39 50 41 
			  Hire of Agency Staff   
			 Hire of Agency Staff (Professional/Management) 179 164 351 294 243 452 
			 Hire of Agency Staff (Clerical/Secretariat/Other) 111 134 158 143 117 147 
			 Salaries Permanent 9,397 9,406 9,403 9,928 10,153 10,677 
			 Salaries for Secondees and Casuals 22 66 72 55 70 61 
			 Agency staff total 290 298 509 437 360 599 
		
	
	
		
			  Wages and Salaries  October  2005  November  2005  December 200 5  January 200 6  February 200 6  March 200 6 
			 Salaries—Permanent 9,554 9,165 9,519 9,648 9,487 10,149 
			 Salaries—Secondees 8 18 28 9 46 56 
			 Salaries—Casuals 28 13 23 26 23 32 
			  Hire of Agency Staff   
			 Hire of Agency Staff (Professional/Management) 282 251 229 394 595 521 
			 Hire of Agency Staff (Clerical/Secretariat/Other) 188 128 157 56 207 282 
			 Salaries Permanent 9,554 9,165 9,519 9,648 9,487 10,149 
			 Salaries for Secondees and Casuals 36 31 51 35 69 88 
			 Agency staff total 470 379 386 449 802 803 
		
	
	
		
			  All figures in  £000 
			  Wages and Salaries  April  2006  May  2006  June  2006  July  2006  August  2006  September  2006 
			 Salaries—Permanent 9,226 9,330 9,547 10,305 8,841 9,467 
			 Salaries—Secondees 0 54 19 -6 14 19 
			 Salaries—Casuals 16 34 3 39 57 12 
			  Hire of Agency Staff   
			 Hire of Agency Staff (Professional/Management) 68 188 223 280 155 98 
			 Hire of Agency Staff (Clerical/Secretariat/Other) 116 136 372 125 123 84 
			 Salaries Permanent 9,226 9,330 9,547 10,305 8,841 9,467 
			 Salaries for Secondees and Casuals 16 88 22 33 71 31 
			 Agency staff total 184 324 595 405 278 182 
		
	
	
		
			  Wages and Salaries  October  2006  November  2006  December 200 6  January 200 7  February 200 7  March 200 7 
			 Salaries—Permanent 9,141 8,789 11,021 9,390 8,873 10,009 
			 Salaries—Secondees 41 16 -1 54 -11 21 
			 Salaries—Casuals 34 28 42 22 -25 17 
			  Hire of Agency Staff  0 
			 Hire of Agency Staff (Professional/Management) 285 170 241 167 362 86 
			 Hire of Agency Staff (Clerical/Secretariat/Other) 45 78 87 110 53 150 
			 Salaries Permanent 9,141 8,789 11,021 9,390 8,873 10,009 
			 Salaries for Secondees and Casuals 75 44 41 76 -36 38 
			 Agency staff total 330 248 328 277 415 236 
		
	
	
		
			  All figures in £000 
			  Wages and Salaries  April 2007  May 2007  June 2007  July 2007  August 2007  September 2007 
			 Salaries—Permanent 8,468 8,764 8,590 8,217 8,378 8,896 
			 Salaries—Secondees 0 -2 20 0 2 10 
			 Salaries—Casuals 15 13 21 21 23 42 
			  Hire of Agency Staff   
			 Hire of Agency Staff (Professional/Management) 25 118 88 114 107 139 
			 Hire of Agency Staff (Clerical/Secretariat/Other) 60 102 93 88 67 102 
			 Salaries Permanent 8,468 8,764 8,590 8,217 8,378 8,896 
			 Salaries for Secondees and Casuals 15 11 41 21 25 52 
			 Agency staff total 85 220 181 202 174 241 
		
	
	
		
			  Wages and Salaries  October 2007  November 2007  December 2007  January 2008  February 2008  March 2008 
			 Salaries—Permanent 9,247 9,382 13,232 9,190 9,619 9,040 
			 Salaries—Secondees 13 7 28 15 1 78 
			 Salaries—Casuals 27 52 22 2 18 21 
			  Hire of Agency Staff   
			 Hire of Agency Staff (Professional/Management) 414 182 235 224 152 310 
			 Hire of Agency Staff (Clerical/Secretariat/Other) 124 154 150 143 133 157 
			 Salaries Permanent 9,247 9,382 13,232 9,190 9,619 9,040 
			 Salaries for Secondees and Casuals 40 59 50 17 19 99 
			 Agency staff total 538 336 385 367 285 467

Energy: Finance

Adam Ingram: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 27 March 2008,  Official Report, column 334W, on renewable energy: finance, whether his Department has received any transfer of funds from the fossil fuel levy since 2004; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 21 April 2008
	The Department has not received any transfer of funds from the Fossil Fuel Levy, or the Fossil Fuel Levy account other than that referred to in my previous answer.

Fuel Poverty

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the effects of the cost of  (a) heating oil and  (b) other fuels on levels of fuel poverty; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Fuel poverty is caused by the interaction of a number of factors with the energy efficiency status of the property, the cost of energy and the household income are three of the most prominent. The impact of these three factors are shown within "The UK Fuel Poverty Strategy; 5th Annual Progress Report 2007" (available online at http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file42720.pdf).
	Official fuel poverty figures take into account these factors including the cost of the main heating fuel, the type of heating system and the occupancy of the household. Comparison of the costs to heat a property used in the modelling of fuel poverty are sourced from the Sutherland Comparative Domestic Heating Cost tables, available under copyright through http://www.sutherlandtables.co.uk/. However, the effect of separate fuels' prices is not available.

Solar Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what progress his Department is making towards the Government's goal of catching up with solar photovoltaic programmes in Japan and Germany; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Japan and Germany have significantly larger solar photovoltaic markets than the UK. This Department has spent over £35 million to support solar photovoltaic installations and field trials since 2000. Currently the solar photovoltaic market benefits, with other micro-generation technologies, from the £86 million Low Carbon Buildings programme.
	More information on photovoltaic developments in the UK in comparison to Japan and Germany are available on the International Energy Agency website:
	http://www.iea-pvps.org

Video Games

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many  (a) UK-owned and  (b) non-UK owned video games development companies were based in the UK in each year since 1997.

Malcolm Wicks: Data on the video and computer games sector are not regularly collated or in fact readily available to the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, particularly as the sector has not had its own separate Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code. A new SIC code for computer games has now been agreed though it will not be possible for this to deliver data until 2010 at the earliest.
	However in 2002 the Department of Trade and Industry published "From Exuberant Youth to Sustainable Maturity", a full competitiveness analysis of the computer games sector commissioned from independent consultants, Spectrum Strategy. This report showed that in 2000 there were approximately 270 games development companies in the UK, the vast majority independent (and indigenous) studios with fewer than 22 employees. Four overseas-owned companies with games studios in the UK were identified in the report.
	In October 2007 UKTI published "Playing for Keeps", a report commissioned from independent consultants Games Investor which included a range of valuable new data on the competitiveness of the UK games development sector compared to key competitor territories including the US and Canada. This report showed that in 2006 there were 160 independent (indigenous) games development companies in the UK. The report also identified two UK-owned games publishers which have one or more games development studios here. However, the number of games development studios in the UK owned by overseas companies was not specified.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Working Hours

Maria Miller: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the average number of hours worked by  (a) full-time and  (b) part-time employees per week was in the latest period for which figures are available, broken down by region.

Edward Miliband: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 22 April 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your parliamentary question about the average number of hours worked by  (a) full-time and  (b) part-time employees per week, in the latest period for which figures are available, broken down by region. (200580)
	The attached table gives the average number of hours worked per week for the categories requested for the three month period ending December 2007, broken down by Government Office Region.
	Each quarter ONS publishes regional estimates of the average actual weekly hours of work for all people in employment in main and second jobs. Please visit the following link;
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/onlineproducts/lms_regional.asp
	It should be noted that the estimates provided in the attached table are grossed using population estimates consistent with those published in 2003. We are in the process of concluding the reweighting of the Labour Force Survey (LFS) according to the latest population estimates. Reweighted data using 2007 population estimates will become publicly available on 14 May 2008.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	
		
			  Average hours worked per week( 1)  by Government Office Region: three month period ending December 2007, United Kingdom, not seasonally adjusted 
			   Hours per week 
			   All employees( 2)  Full-time employees  Part-time employees 
			 North East 32 38 17 
			 North West 33 38 17 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 32 38 17 
			 East Midlands 33 39 18 
			 West Midlands 33 38 17 
			 East 33 39 17 
			 London 34 39 17 
			 South East 33 38 17 
			 South West 32 38 17 
			 Wales 32 38 17 
			 Scotland 32 37 18 
			 Northern Ireland 33 38 18 
			 UK 33 38 17 
			 (1) Average actual hours worked per week in main and second job. including paid and unpaid overtime. (2) Includes those who did not state whether they work full or part-time The estimates are grossed using population estimates consistent with those published in spring 2003.  Source:  ONS Labour Force Survey.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Departmental Alcoholic Drinks

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs at how many events held by his Department  (a) wine and  (b) Fairtrade wine were served in the last three years; and what assessment his Department has made of the merits of serving Fairtrade wine at future events.

Jonathan R Shaw: There is no information held centrally that indicates the total number of events held by the Department at which  (a) wine and  (b) Fairtrade wine were served in the last three years. The information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	There are no mandatory requirements in place for the procurement/provision of Fairtrade products by Government Departments, but the Government are committed to improving market access to producers in developing countries through increased participation in fair and sustainable supply chains. Fairtrade products can be supplied to Government Departments consistent with value for money principles and the EU public procurement rules.

Departmental ICT

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he has given advice to staff in his Department to switch off personal computers when not in use.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA places a high importance on IT energy efficiency measures and seeks to make savings wherever possible.
	 (a) Instructions to staff have been provided in a number of ways. As part of our 'big switch' energy efficiency campaign at the start of 2006, we combined online and poster messaging to inform and change staff behaviour to make sure all computers and other electrical equipment is switched off. Seasonal messages are broadcast on DEFRA's intranet to ensure staff turn off equipment over holiday periods. Information and instructions on energy saving measures appear on DEFRA's intranet and stickers are placed on computer screens reminding staff to switch off their monitors. There are also checks carried out by Security Guards on the London estate on their normal night time patrols who switch off machines if found to be powered up without explanation.
	 (b) DEFRA is currently undertaking trials of timer switches on power sockets for printers and copiers. It is also preparing to roll-out a Vista based desktop environment within which it will deploy Vista's inbuilt group policy options to enforce a default switch to the Vista 'hibernate' and 'sleep' modes after a pre-set elapsed time of inactivity.
	We are also ensuring in the same settings that monitors are similarly switched back to their standby power saving mode.

Departmental ICT

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 28 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1855W on departmental ICT, to the hon. Member for Northavon (Steve Webb), what estimate he has made of the volume of carbon dioxide emissions his Department saved as a result of the "big switch" energy efficiency campaign in  (a) 2005,  (b) 2006 and  (c) 2007.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 21 April 2008
	DEFRA's Sustainable Development Unit organised the "big switch" campaign which ran from January to March 2006. The event aimed to change behaviours in staff by highlighting where we could all save energy. Although it is not possible to measure the precise behaviour change impact of the "big switch" campaign, an estimated 392 tonnes of CO2 was saved in the London and York buildings comparing the same period for 2005 to 2006.

Departmental Legislation

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what criminal offences have been abolished by primary legislation sponsored by his Department and its predecessors since May 1997.

Jonathan R Shaw: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However no DEFRA sponsored primary legislation has received Royal Assent in 2007 or until now in 2008, and hence no offences have been abolished by DEFRA sponsored primary legislation during this period.

Departmental Legislation

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what criminal offences have been created by primary legislation sponsored by his Department since July 2007.

Jonathan R Shaw: No DEFRA sponsored primary legislation has received Royal Assent since 1 July 2007, and hence no offences have been created by DEFRA sponsored primary legislation since that date.

Departmental Official Cars

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what make and model of car  (a) he and  (b) each Minister in his Department selected as their official ministerial car; and what criteria were applied when making the decision in each case.

Jonathan R Shaw: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to him by the Under-Secretary of State for Transport my hon. Friend the Member for Poplar and Canning Town (Jim Fitzpatrick) on 10 March 2008,  Official Report, column 8.

Departmental Property

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Angus of 19 March 2008,  Official Report, columns 1124-26W, on departmental property, from which location the 42 inch plasma screen television went missing in 2004-05; and whether it was lost or stolen.

Jonathan R Shaw: The plasma screen television was taken from Nobel House, DEFRA's offices in Smith Square. It is believed to have been stolen. The matter was reported to the police.

JP Morgan

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department and its predecessors paid to JP Morgan in each year since 1997; and what the purpose of each payment was.

Jonathan R Shaw: From information held centrally, the core Department's financial systems record no payments made to JP Morgan since DEFRA came into being in June 2001.

Karian and Box

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the value was of each contract awarded by his Department and its predecessors to Karian and Box since 1997.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA came into being in June 2001. The core Department has no record of any contracts awarded to Karian and Box.

Natural England: Sites of Special Scientific Interest

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he plans to publish the model byelaw to enable Natural England to use its powers under section 28R of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, as amended by the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006, in respect of sites of special scientific interest.

Joan Ruddock: We have no immediate plans to draw up model byelaws for use in these circumstances. The provision for SSSI byelaws was introduced by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. Since then, the SSSI regime has been further strengthened by the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 which introduced an additional third party offence under section 28P. Natural England is using this mechanism, as a method of dealing with damaging third party activity in SSSIs.

Television

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 6 March 2008,  Official Report, column 2727W, on television, what the cost was of the four plasma television screens purchased.

Jonathan R Shaw: The cost of the four plasma television screens purchased was £3,000.

Temporary Employment

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many agency staff are currently employed by  (a) his Department,  (b) the Environment Agency and  (c) his Department's other agencies.

Jonathan R Shaw: Information on the numbers of employment agency staff engaged by DEFRA's executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	For the core Department, and from information held centrally for the period February 2007 to January 2008 inclusive, the average monthly number of employment agency staff engaged by the core Department is approximately 234.

Zurich Financial Services

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department and its predecessors paid to Zurich Financial Services in each year since 1997; and what the purpose of the payment was in each case.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA came into being in June 2001. The core Department's financial systems record one payment to Zurich Insurance Company of £169.35 made in May 2002. The precise purpose of this small payment is unknown without further investigation given that it was made some six years ago and the cost of investigation would exceed the sum paid.

TREASURY

Capital Gains Tax

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost to the public purse was of  (a) halving relief and  (b) changing the indexation allowance for capital gains tax in the last year for which figures are available.

Jane Kennedy: Figures for the cost of halving relief for capital gains tax are not available. Latest estimates of the cost of the indexation allowance for capital gains tax to the Exchequer are published in Table A3.1 of the 2008 Financial Statement and Budget report.

Financial Inclusion Fund: Citizens Advice

Graham Stuart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what funding Citizens Advice will receive from the Financial Inclusion Fund in each of the next three years; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: I have been asked to reply.
	We have indicated that we will grant CitA £17 million, £16 million and £16.5 million in each of the next three years. This will allow it to continue to provide free-face-to-face debt advice to the financially excluded. In total, this project had helped over 90,000 clients to the end of 2007.

Members: Correspondence

Simon Burns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will reply to the hon. Member for West Chelmsford's letter of 27 February 2008 concerning Mr B. Clarke of Walford Place, Chelmsford, sent to the Minister of State in the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and transferred to his Department on 26 March.

Angela Eagle: I have replied to the hon. Member.

Non-Domestic Rates: Empty Property

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the likely effects of recent changes in the taxation regime affecting void properties on small investors with property in areas of low demand.

Angela Eagle: The reforms to empty property relief in national non-domestic rates in England and Wales, which came into effect on 1 April 2008, will provide a further incentive for small property investors with empty properties to be flexible around letting terms, to redevelop them or to sell them to someone who can make better use of the buildings or land.

Non-Domestic Rates: Empty Property

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration he has given to the introduction of rate relief in respect of empty commercial properties where properties remain unlet in areas which have experienced regeneration.

Angela Eagle: Empty property relief applies in the same way to properties in all areas of England and Wales. Unlet properties in areas which have experienced regeneration benefit from the three and six month relief periods.

Non-Domestic Rates: Empty Property

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the change in revenue to the Exchequer arising from the higher rate of taxation affecting void properties in the next 12 months.

Angela Eagle: The Government estimate that the impact on tax revenue of reforms to empty property relief, which only applies in England and Wales, will be £950 million in 2008-09. This estimate was published in the 2007 and 2008 Budget reports.

Redundancy Pay: Taxation

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much tax was paid by individuals on severance payments received upon the termination of their employment in 2006-07.

Jane Kennedy: Information on tax paid on redundancy payments is not available.

Stamp Duty Land Tax

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the estimated annual cost to the public purse is of the introduction of the zero-carbon homes stamp duty land tax relief for new flats.

Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the written answer I gave to the hon. Member for Putney (Justine Greening) on 21 April 2008,  Official Report, column 1684W.

Taxation: Gambling

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which licensed gambling activities are subject to both value added tax and gross profits tax.

Angela Eagle: Gambling products are subject to a range of different taxes. Bingo in licensed premises is subject to bingo duty at 15 per cent. on gross profits and most participation fees for such bingo are subject to VAT at the standard rate. All gambling industries are also subject to the usual taxes imposed on business. For bingo, the effective tax rate, which measures the combined impact of VAT and duty on a comparable basis, is in line with that on casinos, machines and the lottery.

Welfare Tax Credits

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number and percentage of cases in which inaccurate documents were deliberately submitted to HM Revenue and Customs by tax credit claimants in each year for which figures are available; and what the estimated cost to the public purse of such practices was.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to "Child and Working Tax Credits, Error and Fraud Statistics" available at: www.hmrc.gov.uk which include estimates of the number and costs of claims submitted fraudulently.
	Estimates are not separately available for the number of these cases where inaccurate documents been provided deliberately.

DEFENCE

Armed Forces Benefits Calculator

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost of the armed forces benefits calculator; what the operating costs of the scheme are estimated to be; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: The contract for the armed forces benefits calculator was awarded to Methods Consulting (a registered company on the Defence Communication Services Agency's Information and Communication Services catalogue) on 10 January 2007. Throughout 2007, the calculator underwent extensive development work in close consultation with subject matter experts and the single services; this included the successful completion of a field trial involving a cross-section of ranks from each of the three services.
	Methods Consulting have sub-contracted the day-to-day development and hosting of the armed forces benefits calculator to Thomsons Online Benefits, a company which specialises in the creation of employee 'reward' solutions. The total cost of the MOD's contract with Methods Consulting is estimated at £109,680, excluding VAT, which includes £20,160, less VAT, per annum for Thomsons Online Solutions to host the calculator for a two year period from 1 April 2008. Arrangements for the further development and hosting beyond April 2010 have yet to be decided.

Armed Forces Benefits Calculator

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library the  (a) objectives,  (b) evaluation and  (c) criteria for assessment used in the preparation of the Armed Forces Benefits Calculator; what benchmarking he plans to undertake to ensure that the performance of the Armed Forces Benefits Calculator compares accurately with assessments for non-armed forces individuals; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: Prior to the launch of the Armed Forces Benefits Calculator, there was no mechanism in place to permit Service personnel easily to identify their total worth. The Armed Forces Pay Review Body has previously commented that Service personnel lack awareness of the total value of their armed forces remuneration package, and that more should be done to assess and communicate the value of the package. In addition, the introduction of Joint Personnel Administration has inevitably placed a greater emphasis on the need for clear and easily accessible internal communication on pay and allowances matters. Her Majesty's Treasury has also, over the years, challenged the MOD about not communicating effectively to staff the value and merits of the armed forces total reward package.
	Although some progress had been made in this area (a fact sheet is available on the Defence intranet) the information is very generic, non-interactive and not particularly accessible. The vast majority of personnel, while aware of their annual salary and allowances packages, continue to view each of these elements in isolation, and many other financial benefits remain 'invisible' (such as medical/dental care, and physical education opportunities). Building on the success of the existing Armed Forces Pension Calculator, the new Benefits Calculator was thus created to provide greater clarity of the 'total reward' package incorporating basic pay, specialist pay, individual allowances, pension, and other benefits where a realistic financial value can be attributed.
	The range of remuneration and allowance-based benefits included in the Armed Forces Benefits Calculator will be reviewed on a regular basis to ensure they remain relevant to comparable rates in civilian life and continue to be retention and recruitment positive. In addition, the calculator includes other benefits (such as dental care and health and fitness facilities) which are not strictly remuneration or allowance-related but are included to convey the extent of the total benefits package available to Service personnel in return for military service, and to provide an indication of what replicating these benefits might cost in civilian life. The terms and conditions governing the use of the Armed Forces Benefits Calculator state that the Calculator is for guidance purposes only, and that it is not intended to provide formal financial advice.
	Initial feedback on the operation and utility of the Armed Forces Benefits Calculator has been very positive, and at the time of writing over 14,000 calculations had been completed. The effectiveness of the Calculator will be reviewed over the coming months, including an assessment of the relative benefits of including links to other sites/pages providing information on a variety of related matters, currently including:
	a. Discounts—principally through the Forces Discount Brochure.
	b. News/information on pay and allowances matters.
	c. Financial information, particularly in support of MOD's ongoing work with the single Services to deliver the Government's National Strategy on Financial Capability, including links to the established Financial Service Authorities' "Money Made Clear" website.

Armed Forces Benefits Calculator

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what methodology was used to prepare the figures underpinning the Armed Forces Benefits Calculator; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: The Armed Forces Benefits Calculator was developed to provide Service personnel with a quick and convenient way of working out the indicative value of their total remuneration and benefits package. The introduction of the Armed Forces Benefits Calculator has, therefore, made it easier for personnel to make a direct comparison between their current remuneration and that being offered by civilian employers—and by doing so to demonstrate the value of their benefits package as a whole. The Armed Forces Benefits Calculator has been developed also to provide potential recruits with a means of investigating the type of remuneration and benefits that might be available should they choose to join the armed forces. The Calculator uses a combination of existing pay rates and allowances details of which can be found at: http://www.mod.uk and some new values, which have been agreed with subject matter experts and the single Services. These new values are included to provide a broad indication of what some of the other benefits personnel receive in return for military service (such as dental care, and health and fitness facilities) might cost to replicate in civilian life.

Armed Forces Benefits Calculator

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what courses are available as  (a) standard learning credit and  (b) advanced learning credit as part of the Armed Forces Benefits Calculator; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: The MOD promotes lifelong learning among members of the armed forces, and this is encouraged through the Learning Credits schemes. The Standard Learning Credit (SLC) scheme supplies financial support, throughout the Service person's career, for multiple, small-scale learning activities. The Enhanced Learning Credit (ELC) scheme is designed to complement the SLC scheme by providing larger scale help to personnel who qualify to pay for higher level learning at Level 3 (GCE A level and equivalent) and above. For both schemes a wide variety of vocational and academic courses may be undertaken which lead to or facilitate the award of a nationally recognised qualification as defined by the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) (England and Wales to be superseded by the Qualifications Credits Framework (QCF)), or the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF). The SLC and ELC schemes aim to motivate full time members of the armed forces to pursue their personal development during their service career to the benefit of both the Service and the individual. Any unused ELC benefit, however, may be used for up to 10 years afterwards, subject to the qualifying criteria being met.

Armed Forces: Recruitment

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on promoting recruitment to the armed forces overseas in each year since 2003.

Bob Ainsworth: The armed forces do not actively recruit overseas with the exception of Gurkhas from Nepal. However, in recent years the Royal Navy and the Army have sent selection teams to some Commonwealth countries at the specific request of the government concerned, and only then when evidence suggests that there is sufficient interest amongst the local population to merit a visit. The selection teams screen out those who are not thought capable of meeting the full entry standards, to save them the cost of an abortive trip to the UK to undergo the recruitment selection process. The costs incurred as a result of the overseas selection team visits were as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  £ 
			 2003-04 127,700 
			 2004-05 125,100 
			 2005-06 80,000 
			 2006-07 180,000 
			 2007-08 (1)150,000 
			 (1) To date.  Note: Figures rounded to nearest 100 
		
	
	Gurkha recruitment policy is different to that for the regular UK armed forces. Recruitment to the Brigade of Gurkhas is conducted once a year, in Nepal. A selection team travels to Nepal from the UK to assist the in-country recruiting team with the selection process. The costs incurred by the recruiting team from outside Nepal were as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  £ 
			 2003-04 33,000 
			 2004-05 33,000 
			 2005-06 40,000 
			 2006-07 32,800 
			 2007-08 42,900 
			  Note: Figures rounded to the nearest 100. 
		
	
	The cost relating to the in-country recruiting team in Nepal are not readily available and I will write to the hon. Member with this information in due course.
	 Substantive answer from Bob Ainsworth to Liam Fox:
	I undertook to write to you in answer to your Parliamentary Question on 19 March 2008, (Official Report, columns 1168-69W) about the costs relating to the in-country recruiting team in Nepal.
	The costs over the last five years were:
	
		
			  Financial year  £ 
			 2003-04 247,900 
			 2004-05 216,800 
			 2005-06 243,200 
			 2006-07 245,700 
			 2007-08 241,200 
			  Note: Figures in pounds rounded to the nearest 100.

Departmental Contracts

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contracts were awarded by his Department to  (a) KPMG,  (b) PricewaterhouseCoopers,  (c) Ernst and Young,  (d) McKinsey,  (e) Deloitte and  (f) other consultancy firms in each of the last 12 months; and what the (i) purpose and (ii) value was of each of these contracts.

Derek Twigg: The following information reflects contracts awarded for Management and Business Consultancy, Finance and Accountancy Consultancy, Corporate Governance and Audit Consultancy, and public-private partnership and Private Finance Initiative Consultancy support that have passed through a centralised approval process. The details do not contain contracts awarded by the MOD's trading funds or agencies or for other types of consultancy which are not held centrally.
	Information in relation to contracts awarded to 'other consultancy firms' in the past 12 months is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	However, summaries of MOD expenditure on External Assistance, which includes management and other types of consultancy since 1995-96 are available in the Library of the House.
	The Ministry of Defence has limited internal consultancy resources, which it prioritises to support the Department's key business areas. The use of internal resources is always fully considered before engaging external consultancy assistance.
	The Ministry of Defence recognises the benefits that can be gained from external consultancy assistance in driving forward its new management and business initiatives, but it is important that it is only commissioned when it can be demonstrated to be both appropriate, cost-effective and delivering value for money.
	Details of contracts awarded in the last 12 months to the named companies are as follows:
	
		
			  Purpose  Total contract value (£) 
			  KPMG  
			 MOD Streamlining (To design and help implement a programme to deliver the training, structural, behavioural, process and system changes required to Streamline the MOD Head Office and meet the required savings targets. In addition to this provide support to define and create a Corporate Services model for Defence) 4,000,000 
			 Future Lynx Training Service Project Financial Services Support (To provide a synthetic training service for aircrew, ground crew and maintainers, and will include refresher and conversion to type training) 47,000 
			 Corporate Financial Assistance Strategic Advice (External Assistance to provide a Strategic Advisory Service to the MOD's Maritime Industrial Strategy Team) 109,000 
			   
			  PricewaterhouseCoopers  
			 Independent Review into the Nuclear Weapons Capability Sustainment 515,000 
			 External Assistance for Blueprint Consultancy (To set out the strategic direction for the People, Pay and Pensions Agency (PPPA) ensuring a programme of change that is coherent, aligned and will achieve the desired end state by the agreed timeframe) 550,000 
			 External Consultancy assistance for high level review of proposed new rates for MOD Employers Pension Contributions Payments 17,000 
			 Benchmarking of Human Resources Shared Services (To measure and benchmark the efficiency and effectiveness of the delivery of key Human Resources processes that are delivered through Human Resources shared services in Service Personnel and Veterans Agency (SPVA). This will allow SPVA to benchmark itself against public and private sector peers, including MOD's People, Pay and Pensions Agency (PPPA), highlighting best practice) 25,000 
			   
			  Ernst and Young  
			 No contracts awarded — 
			   
			  McKinsey  
			 No contracts awarded — 
			   
			  Deloitte  
			 Commercial Support for the Beyond Visual Range Air to Air Missile (BVRAAM) Project. (Provision of a short-term external commercial resource as part of the team to support a review of the BVRAAM Integrated Project Team) 46,000 
			 External assistance Support to 16 Air Assault Brigade on Lean Transformation Programme—covering Support in applying the principles and techniques of Lean process design to the end to end support chain 113,000 
			 Strategic Client Adviser (The Future Submarine Project Team requires impartial independent expert support in order to provide programme assurance to give confidence to the Team Leader and MOD stakeholders that the team's plans and activities make best use of the available resource) 2,000,000 
			 Provide Independent financial review of the long term partnering agreement with BAE Systems 45,000 
			 Independent Financial Review for future aircraft carrier (External Assistance to conduct an assessment of the Aircraft Carrier Alliance cost-model prior to the Future Aircraft Carrier (CVF) manufacture contract signature and to support to CVF Integrated Project Team and Commercial Project Enablement Team in analysis of the supporting Shipyard estimate) 550,000 
			 Development of Flexible Resourcing Approach for Defence Equipment and Support External Assistance support to design and pilot a Flexible Resourcing approach within Defence Equipment and Support. Flexible Resourcing is an industry-tested approach for maximising the utilisation of people resource within an organisation 448,000 
			 Enquiry by Design Event (External assistance advice for the provision of financial support in analysis of data with a view to testing the feasibility of a Defence Estates Project) 10,000 
			 Defence Equipment and Support Director General Safety and Engineering (DGSE) PACE (Performance, Agility, Confidence, Efficiency) for Value Stream Analysis—requirement for Consultancy Support in applying the principles and techniques of lean process design to the end to end support chain 108,000 
			 External assistance for the maritime industrial strategy corporate finance accountancy support 268,000

Departmental Manpower

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) permanent civil service posts,  (b) permanent non-civil Service posts and  (c) temporary or agency workers in employment there were in his Department in each month since May 2005.

Derek Twigg: The number of permanent civil service posts is not held centrally. The following tables show the number of permanent civilian personnel employed by the Department on a monthly basis since May 2005.
	
		
			  MOD permanent personnel—1 May 2005 to 1 March 2008 
			  Headcount 
			  Date of strength  MOD less trading funds  Trading funds  Total 
			 May 2005 80,240 10,720 90,960 
			 June 2005 80,020 10,630 90,660 
			 July 2005 79,720 10,570 90,280 
			 August 2005 79,610 10,540 90,150 
			 September 2005 79,210 10,490 89,700 
			 October 2005 78,900 10,400 89,300 
			 November 2005 78,790 10,350 89,140 
			 December 2005 78,710 10,250 88,960 
			 January 2006 77,490 10,970 88,460 
			 February 2006 77,360 10,970 88,320 
			 March 2006 77,210 10,950 88,160 
		
	
	
		
			  Headcount 
			  Date of strength  MOD less trading funds  Trading funds  Total 
			 April 2006 76,640 10,720 87,360 
			 May 2006 76,360 10,650 87,010 
			 June 2006 76,180 10,610 86,790 
			 July 2006 75,870 10,560 86,430 
			 August 2006 75,290 10,580 85,870 
			 September 2006 74,890 10,560 85,450 
			 October 2006 74,590 10,530 85,120 
			 November 2006 74,280 10,500 84,780 
			 December 2006 74,170 10,490 84,660 
			 January 2007 73,780 10,390 84,170 
			 February 2007 73,640 10,380 84,020 
			 March 2007 73,250 10,380 83,640 
		
	
	
		
			  Headcount 
			  Date of strength  MOD less trading funds  Trading funds  Total 
			 April 2007 72,700 10,100 82,800 
			 May 2007 72,280 10,090 82,370 
			 Jun 2007 72,060 10,090 82,150 
			 Jul 2007 71,800 10,060 81,860 
			 Aug 2007 71,160 10,070 81,230 
			 September 2007 70,800 10,070 80,870 
			 October 2007 70,560 10,140 80,700 
			 November 2007 70,380 10,160 80,540 
			 December 2007 69,970 10,310 80,280 
			 January 2008 69,450 10,280 79,730 
			 February 2008 69,270 10,380 79,640 
			 March 2008 69,080 10,360 79,440 
			 1. The tables above include all non-industrial and industrial permanent staff, (casual staff are excluded). 2. Royal Fleet Auxiliary and locally engaged civilians overseas are excluded because data regarding their permanent or casual status are not centrally held. 3. The figures shown are a headcount, i.e. part-time staff are counted with equal weight to full-time staff. 4. Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10. Numbers ending in "5" have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias. 5. Figures are individually rounded and may not sum precisely to the totals shown. 
		
	
	Data for permanent non-civil service personnel and temporary or agency workers employed over the period are not centrally held on the Department's human resources management system (HRMS) and could only be produced at disproportionate cost.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions  (a) Ministers and  (b) the UK's special envoy to Iraq had with representatives of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) in Iraq on policy on  (a) de-Ba'athification of Iraq and  (b) disbandment of the Iraqi army in 2003; what representations they made to the CPA on the subjects; and what the Government's policy was on both subjects.

Des Browne: Government officials held regular discussions with coalition partners, including those in the Coalition Provisional Authority, on issues concerning the reconstruction of Iraq. As Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers and I have explained previously, events moved very quickly in the aftermath of the removal of Saddam Hussein and it should be remembered that by the end of initial hostilities, the Iraqi army had effectively dissolved itself. There was at the same time overwhelming popular pressure throughout Iraq for de-Ba'athification to begin, reflecting the suffering and resentment among ordinary Iraqis arising from three decades of repression by Saddam Hussein's regime. Policy and plans therefore remained fluid in light of developments on the ground.

JP Morgan

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department paid to JP Morgan in each year since 1997; and what the purpose of each payment was.

Bob Ainsworth: The MOD made a payment of £41,000 to J P Morgan in 2003-04 for consultancy services associated with the implementation of an economic offset programme with a foreign government. No other payments were made centrally to the company in the years 1997-98 to 2007-08 inclusive.
	We only hold centrally information on transactions made by our Financial Management Shared Service Centre, representing about 95 per cent. of all MOD payments. We have, therefore, not included payments which may have been made on behalf of other Government Departments, by the MOD's trading funds (which lie outside our accounting boundary), locally in the Department, or in support of joint venture/alliance or international collaborative projects.

Zurich Financial Services

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department paid to Zurich Financial Services in each year since 1997; and what the purpose of the payment was in each case.

Bob Ainsworth: Payments made to Zurich Financial Services by the Ministry of Defence since 1997 are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Financial year  Purpose  Payment (£) 
			 2004-05 Purchase vehicle insurance 1,092 
			 2005-06 Purchase vehicle insurance 562

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Departmental Legislation

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what criminal offences have been abolished by primary legislation sponsored by his Department and its predecessors since May 1997.

David Lammy: Since May 1977 within the current Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills, and the relevant policy areas within its predecessors, the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department for Education and Skills, legislation was amended in 2005 relating to one are of criminal law.
	The Patents Act 1977 was amended to narrow a pre-existing criminal offence. The relevant law changed on 1 January 2005.
	While further analysis might reveal additional information pertinent to the DIUS predecessors, this could be achieved only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Pay

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the cost of  (a) salaries for permanent Civil Service posts,  (b) salaries for permanent non-Civil Service posts and  (c) payments to temporary or agency workers in his Department was in each month since May 2005.

David Lammy: The Department was set up on 28 June 2008. The information sought is not held centrally in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, the annual spend to 31 March 2008 for permanent civil service posts was £38.4 million, including overtime, and for temporary and agency workers it was £33,000 and £1.1 million respectively.
	The Department has no permanent non-civil service posts.

Departmental Sick Leave

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many days sick leave were taken on average by staff in his Department since its establishment.

David Lammy: The Department was established on 28 June 2008 as part of the Machinery of Government changes. In the period since its formation, employees of the Department have taken, on average, 9.9 days sickness absence.

Departmental Sick Leave

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many of his Department's staff took more than  (a) five,  (b) 10,  (c) 15,  (d) 20,  (e) 25,  (f) 30,  (g) 35 and  (h) 40 days leave due to stress since establishment, broken down by pay grade.

David Lammy: The Department was set up as part of the machinery of Government changes on 28 June 2008. Electronic records for the Department are presently maintained on two data bases in the legacy Departments from which staff were transferred when DIUS was formed. It would involve disproportionate cost to obtain the level of detail required to answer this question. However, the percentage of working days lost by the Department's staff attributed to mental health related conditions during the nine months from July 2007 to March 2009 amounted to 12 per cent. of all sickness absence.
	The Department is committed to providing a safe working environment and has put in place a range of measures to support all employees on health and wellbeing issues, including the provision of professional counselling and occupational health services.

Departmental Temporary Employment

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many full-time posts in his Department were filled on a temporary basis for a period in excess of six months in each year since establishment.

David Lammy: The Department was set up on 28 June 2008 as part of the machinery of government changes. The information sought is not held centrally in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Higher Education

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of people from each UCAS tariff band from each socio-economic group  (a) were applicants for and  (b) were accepted for full-time undergraduate degree courses in the last year for which information is available;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of applicants from each socio-economic group for full-time undergraduate courses were in each UCAS tariff band in the last year for which figures are available.

Bill Rammell: The latest available information for the 2007 year of entry from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) is shown in the table. This table covers applicants and accepted applicants to all full-time undergraduate courses that are covered by UCAS broken down by tariff band and socio-economic background.
	The number and proportion of applicants from each socio-economic group to full-time undergraduate courses from each UCAS tariff band can also be found in the table.
	
		
			  Number and proportion of English domiciled applicants and accepted applicants to all full—time undergraduate courses( 1)  from each UCAS tariff band and national statistics socio—economic classification (NS—SEC): Year of entry 2007 
			Applicants  Accepted  a pplicants 
			  Tariff Band  NS—SEC Group  Number  Percentage  of known  Number  Percentage  of known 
			 0(2) 1. Higher managerial and professional occupations 11,124 13.6 8,233 14.1 
			  2. Lower managerial and professional occupations 23,376 28.7 16,764 28.8 
			  3. Intermediate occupations 13,322 16.3 9,345 16.0 
			  4. Small employers and own account workers 5.743 7.0 4,247 7.3 
			  5. Lower supervisory and technical occupations 3,130 3.8 2,337 4.0 
			  6, Semi—routine occupations 18,120 22.2 12,462 21.4 
			  7, Routine occupations 6,683 8.2 4,861 8.3 
			  Total Known 81,498 100.0 58,249 100.0 
			  Unknown 61,134 — 45,837 — 
			  Total 142,632 — 104,086 — 
			  Number of known in groups 1—3 47,822 58.7 34,342 59.0 
			  Number of known in groups 4—7 33,676 41.3 23,907 41.0 
			   
			 1 - 119 1. Higher managerial and professional occupants 2,499 13.2 1,878 13.6 
			  2. Lower managerial and professional occupations 5,258 27.8 3,833 27.9 
			  3. Intermediate occupations 2,599 13.8 1,919 13.9 
			  4. Small employers and own account workers 1,878 9.9 1,337 9.7 
			  5. Lower supervisory and technical occupations 1,168 6.2 832 6.0 
			  6. Semi—routine occupations 3,658 19.4 2,653 19.3 
			  7. Routine occupations 1,833 9.7 1,309 9.5 
			  Total Known 18,893 100.0 13,761 100,0 
			  Unknown 6,828 — 4,849 — 
			  Total 25,721 — 18,610 — 
			  Number of known in groups 1—3 10,356 54.8 7,630 55 
			  Number of known in groups 4—7 8,537 452 6,131 44.6 
			   
			 120-239 1. Higher managerial and professional occupations 6,633 17.6 5,404 17.9 
			  2. Lower managerial and professional occupations 11,432 30.3 9.204 30.5 
			  3. Intermediate occupations 5,067 13.4 4,037 13.4 
			  4. Small employers and own account workers 3,526 9.3 2,756 9.1 
			  5. Lower supervisory and technical occupations 2,275 6.0 1,795 5.9 
			  6. Semi—routine occupations 5,934 15.7 4,714 15.6 
			  7. Routine occupations 2,893 7.7 2,262 7.5 
			  Total Known 37,760 100.0 30,172 100.0 
			  Unknown 10,019 — 7,886 — 
			  Total 47,779 — 38,058 — 
			  Number of known in groups 1—3 23,132 61.3 18,645 61.8 
			  Number of known in groups 4—7 14,628 38.7 11,527 38.2 
			   
			 240-159 1 . Higher managerial and professional occupations 15,026 23.l 13,290 23.2 
			  2. Lower managerial and professional occupations 21,011 32.2 18,510 32.3 
			  3. Intermediate occupations 9,024 13.8 7,993 13.9 
			   
			  4. Small employers and own account workers 5,347 8.2 4,657 8.1 
			  5 Lower supervisory and technical occupations 3,384 5.2 2,955 5.2 
			  6. Semi—routine occupations 7,926 12.2 6,931 12.1 
			  7. Routine occupations 3,456 5.3 3.008 5.2 
			  Total Known 65,174 100.0 57,344 100.0 
			  Unknown 12,831 — 11,101 — 
			  Total 78,005  68,445 — 
			  Number of known in groups 1—3 45,061 69.1 39,793 69.4 
			  Number of known in groups 4—7 20,113 30.9 17.551 30.6 
			   
			 360-479 1 . Higher managerial and professional occupations 16,072 31.1 14,571 31.3 
			  2. Lower managerial and professional occupations 17,122 33.1 15,453 33.1 
			  3. Intermediate occupations 6,808 11.2 6,169 13.2 
			  4. Small employers and own account workers 3,438 6.6 3,084 6.6 
			  5. Lower supervisory and technical Occupations 2,079 4.0 1,874 4.0 
			  6. Semi—routine occupations 4,451 8.6 3,928 8.4 
			  7. Routine occupations 1J37 3.4 1,532 3.3 
			  Total Known 51,707 100.0 46,619 100.0 
			  Unknown 7,759 — 6,885 — 
			  Total 59,466 — 53,504 — 
			  Number of known in groups 1—3 40,002 77.4 36,201 77.7 
			  Number of known in groups 4—7 11,705 22.6 10,418 22.3 
			   
			 480 and over 1 . Higher managerial and professional occupations 9,084 38.6 8,408 38.8 
			  2. Lower managerial and professional occupations 7,509 31.9 6,962 32.2 
			  3. Intermediate occupations 2,950 12.5 2,721 12.6 
			  4. Small employers and own account Workers 1,092 4.6 984 4.5 
			  5. Lower supervisory and technical occupations 699 3.0 651 3.0 
			  6. Semi—routine occupations 1,674 7.1 1,466 6.8 
			  7. Routine occupations 531 2.3 459 2.1 
			  Total Known 23,539 100.0 21,651 100.0 
			  Unknown 2,935 — 2,605 — 
			  Total 26,474 — 24,256 — 
			  Number of known in groups 1—3 19,543 83.0 18,091 83.6 
			  Number of known in groups 4—7 3,996 17.0 3,560 16.4 
			   
			 Total 1. Higher managerial and professional occupations 60,438 21.7 51,792 22.7 
			  2. Lower managerial and professional occupations 85,708 30.8 70,726 31.0 
			  3. Intermediate occupations 39,770 14.3 32,184 14.1 
			  4 . Small employers and own account workers 21,024 7.5 17,065 7.5 
			  5. Lower supervisory and technical occupations 12,735 4.6 10,444 4.6 
			  6. Semi—routine occupations 41,763 15.0 32,154 14.1 
			  7. Routine occupations 17,133 6.2 13,431 5.9 
			  Total Known 278,571 100.0 227,796 100.0 
			  Unknown 101,506 — 79,163 — 
			  Total 380,077 — 306,959 — 
			  Number of known in groups 1—3 185,916 66.7 154,702 67.9 
			  Number of known in groups 4—7 92,655 33.3 73,094 32.1 
			 (1) Includes applicants and accepted applicants to all full-time undergraduate courses that are covered by UCAS.  (2) Applicants and accepted applicants in the tariff band of zero either had qualifications that were not covered buy the UCAS tariff or their tariff score was unknown.   Source:  Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). 
		
	
	Overall, for all students from England, the UCAS figures show that, compared to 2006, applicants to full-time undergraduate courses who had been accepted for entry in 2007, rose by 6.1 per cent. to 307,000 the highest ever. Latest figures for students applying for entry in 2008, show that applicants in England are up by 7.1 per cent. compared to 2007.

Higher Education: Admissions

Jeff Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what information his Department holds on  (a) the targets each member of the Russell Group of Universities has set itself for widening participation for students from poorer backgrounds in the last two years and  (b) performance against those targets.

Bill Rammell: Information on targets for widening participation for students from poorer backgrounds for each member of the Russell Group is not available. The Department does not set targets for individual institutions and does not hold information on targets they may set themselves.
	Information in the tables is taken from table T1a of the Performance Indicators in Higher Education. Figures from the academic years of 1997-98 to 2001-02 was published by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), and figures from the 2002-03 academic year onwards were published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). Figures for the 2006-07 academic year will become available in June this year.
	The figures in table 1 show the proportions of UK-domiciled young entrants to full-time first degree courses at Russell Group higher education institutions in the UK who were from lower social classes/lower socio-economic classes from 1997-98 to 2005-06, along with the benchmarks for each institution. In the 2002-03 academic year the: National Statistics Socio-Economic Classification (NS-SEC) was first introduced. It replaced the Social Class (SC) classification, and the two classifications cannot be directly compared.
	The figures in table 2 show the proportions of UK-domiciled young entrants to full-time first degree courses at Russell Group higher education institutions in the UK who were from low participation neighbourhoods from 1997-98 to 2005-06, along with the benchmarks for each institution.
	For each institution, the performance indicator is shown against a benchmark. This is a sector average which is adjusted for each institution to take into account the following factors: subject of study, qualifications on entry and age on entry. The benchmarks can be used to show how a university is performing compared to the sector as a whole, and also help to determine whether a meaningful comparison can be drawn between two or more universities. The benchmarks are not targets.
	
		
			 Table 1: Proportion of UK-domiciled young(1) entrants to full-time first degree courses at Russell Group institutions who were from lower social classes/lower socio-economic classes(2) 
			   Social class IIIM, IV, V( 2) 
			   1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02 
			  Russell Group HEIs  %  Benchmark  %  Benchmark  %  Benchmark  %  Benchmark  %  Benchmark 
			 The University of Birmingham 17.1 18.6 16.7 18.8 19.2 20.1 18.9 19.9 21.0 20.0 
			 The University of Bristol 10.6 16.3 9.1 16.3 107 16.3 10.7 16.4 11.0 16.0 
			 The University of Cambridge(3) 7.8 11.4 8.1 12.4 8.6 12.5 9.1 12.7 9.0 14.0 
			 Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine 13.3 16.6 16.8 16.8 17.0 16.5 14.5 16.5 14.0 16.0 
			 King's College London 18.4 20.2 17.2 19.1 18.6 19.3 19.6 19.0 17.0 20.0 
			 The University of Leeds 15.4 19.5 15.3 19.2 15.6 19.6 16.3 19.4 16.0 20.0 
			 The University of Liverpool 22.0 20.8 21.3 21.1 22.2 22.2 21.3 222 22.0 23.0 
			 London School of Economics and Political Science 11.9 15.5 12.5 16.1 12.5 14.8 15.9 15.8 18.0 16.0 
			 The University of Manchester 16.7 19.1 17.9 19.1 17.6 19.9 19.0 19.5 19.0 20.0 
			 The University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne 16.8 20.0 15.0 19.9 16.3 20.4 16.7 20.9 17.0 22.0 
			 The University of Nottingham 13.8 17.1 13.2 17.5 14.5 17.3 14.0 17.7 15.0 18.0 
			 The University of Oxford 7.8 12.5 9.1 13.3 8.9 12.9 9.6 13.3 9.0 13.0 
			 The University of Sheffield 17.3 18.2 17.6 17.8 17.0 18.1 18.5 18.6 18.0 19.0 
			 The University of Southampton 17.4 21.5 17.5 21.5 17.5 21.5 17.4 20.7 18.0 22.0 
			 University College London 13.9 18.0 14.4 17.9 13.9 17.7 14.9 17.8 15.0 18.0 
			 The University of Warwick 16.9 17.2 15.8 17.7 14.4 17.0 15.3 17.4 15.0 17.0 
			 Cardiff University 11.0 180 13.3 19.6 14.2 19.6 12.8 18.8 19.0 21.0 
			 The University of Edinburgh 21.0 20.7 21.0 20.9 21.0 21.8 20.9 21.5 15.0 19.0 
			 The University of Glasgow 20.3 20.7 20.1 20.6 19.1 21.1 18.2 20.9 21.0 22.0 
			 Queen's University Belfast 27.4 19.9 29.6 20.9 29.9 21.0 27.5 20.6 31.0 22.0 
		
	
	
		
			   NS-SEC 4, 5, 6, 7 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			  Russell Group HEIs  %  Benchmark  %  Benchmark  %  Benchmark  %  Benchmark 
			 The University of Birmingham 22.1 22.0 22.6 23.5 21.6 23.2 19.9 23.5 
			 The University of Bristol 13.7 20.0 14.1 21.4 13.4 19.6 16.4 20.7 
			 The University of Cambridge(3) 11.3 17.3 11.4 18.2 12.4 17.8 n/a n/a 
			 Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine 17.9 19.7 17.9 21.0 18.7 20.6 17.3 20.8 
			 King's College London 22.7 23.0 21.0 22.2 20.5 22.4 21.3 22.8 
			 The University of Leeds 19.9 23.7 19.6 24.1 19.2 23.1 18.9 23.7 
			 The University of Liverpool 25.2 25.7 25.3 25.8 23.5 24.7 23.6 25.1 
			 London School of Economics and Political Science 18.0 19.8 17.3 20.4 19.5 19.6 17.5 19.4 
			 The University of Manchester 21.7 22.2 21.0 23.2 21.2 22.3 20.7 23.0 
			 The University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne 20.4 23.9 20.9 23.8 19.5 23.3 20.3 23.6 
			 The University of Nottingham 16.9 21.0 16.1 21.6 15.7 20.7 16.9 22.3 
			 The University of Oxford 11.0 17.2 11.5 17.8 12.3 17.3 11.4 18.3 
			 The University of Sheffield 19.0 21.9 19.8 22.0 20.0 21.8 21.3 22.6 
			 The University of Southampton 18.6 24.7 20.0 24.2 19.1 23.3 20.0 24.1 
			 University College London 17.8 22.1 17.3 21.5 17.9 20.4 17.5 20.5 
			 The University of Warwick 17.8 22.0 18.6 20.9 17.7 20.0 16.7 207 
			 Cardiff University 22.5 23.7 21.8 24.5 21.7 24.0 21.1 24.9 
			 The University of Edinburgh 17.8 21.8 15.3 21.9 17.1 20.8 17.7 21.5 
			 The University of Glasgow 22.9 23.2 22.8 23.3 22.7 23.2 23.7 23.1 
			 Queen's University Belfast 36.0 26.1 36.0 26.7 34.4 25.9 34.4 26.9 
			 n/a = not available (1) 'Young' refers to entrants who are under 21-years-old. (2) Due to a change in classification, from social class to socio-economic class in 2001, figures prior to 2001 and figures front 2002 onwards cannot be directly compared. (3) The University of Cambridge has taken the opportunity of a new student record system to review the recording of student data, This change prevented the submission of data suitable for presentation at an institutional level in the 2005-06 academic year,: A full set of data will be included in this year's publication.  Source: Performance Indicators in Higher Education, published by HESA 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Proportion of UK-domiciled young( 1)  entrants to full-time first degree courses at Russell Group institutions who were from low participation neighbourhoods 
			   1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02 
			  Russell Group HEIs  %  Benchmark  %  Benchmark  %  Benchmark  %  Benchmark  %  Benchmark 
			 The University of Birmingham 8.2 9.0 8.2 9.3 8.1 10.0 9.0 9.8 9.5 10.2 
			 The University of Bristol 3.6 8.1 4.5 8.4 4.8 8.3 4.3 8.1 4.8 8.3 
			 The University of Cambridge(2) 4.3 6.5 4.8 6.3 5.5 6.9 4.7 6.7 4.9 7.4 
			 Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine 5.1 7.9 6.4 8.4 5.6 8.2 6.8 8.0 6.9 8.3 
			 King's College London 8.2 9.8 7.8 9.6 7.8 9.7 6.7 9.4 6.9 10.1 
			 The University of Leeds 7.9 9.4 8.3 9.5 7.8 9.8 8.4 9.6 9.5 10.3 
			 The University of Liverpool 12.3 10.2 12.0 10.4 13.4 11.0 13.1 11.2 13.7 11.5 
			 London School of Economics and Political Science 6.8 7.9 5.9 8.3 5.2 7.8 6.7 7.7 8.6 8.7 
			 The University of Manchester 8.6 9.3 9.5 9.6 9.9 9.9 10.5 9.8 12.5 10.3 
			 The University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne 9.3 9.6 9.8 9.6 10.1 10.0 10.5 10.3 10.7 10.8 
			 The University of Nottingham 7.2 8.2 6.9 8.5 6.4 8.6 7.2 8.6 6.3 9.0 
			 The University of Oxford 4.4 6.7 4.4 7.0 5.6 7.1 5.6 7.1 4.7 7.2 
			 The University of Sheffield 7.8 8.8 9.2 8.7 9.7 9.0 8.9 9.1 10.1 9.6 
			 The University of Southampton 6.3 10.4 6.1 10.6 6.2 10.4 6.4 10.0 6.5 10.6 
			 University College London 6.3 8.9 5.2 9.1 6.1 9.0 5.5 8.9 5.2 9.3 
			 The University of Warwick 6.7 8.5 6.8 8.9 6.7 8.8 6.9 8.7 7.3 9.0 
			 Cardiff University 7.4 8.9 11.1 10.0 9.9 10.2 9.6 10.3 9.2 10.3 
			 The University of Edinburgh 15.1 10.2 8.8 9.8 8.1 9.9 7.3 9.4 8.1 10.1 
			 The University of Glasgow 9.9 10.0 14.5 10.4 15.6 11.0 17.1 10.8 17.1 11.3 
			 Queen's University Belfast 9.0 9.8 8.9 10.1 8.4 10.2 7.9 10.0 9.6 10.7 
		
	
	
		
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			  Russell Group HEIs  %  Benchmark  %  Benchmark  %  Benchmark  %  Benchmark 
			 The University of Birmingham 11.1 10.9 10.1 11.4 9.5 11.0 8.9 11.0 
			 The University of Bristol 5.7 9.7 5.7 10.0 5.2 9.1 5.5 9.3 
			 The University of Cambridge(2) 5.4 8.9 6.1 8.9 5.3 8.7 n/a n/a 
			 Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine 6.5 9.6 7.5 10.1 8.4 9.2 7.1 8.9 
			 King's College London 7.9 10.8 8.6 10.6 6.4 10.3 8.2 10.6 
			 The University of Leeds 9.9 11.3 9.4 11.9 9.4 10.8 8.9 10.9 
			 The University of Liverpool 14.9 12.0 14.1 12.2 13.6 11.6 12.6 11.7 
			 London School of Economics and Political Science 6.3 9.9 6.7 10.2 4.3 9.0 7.8 9.1 
			 The University of Manchester 10.5 10.7 11.8 11.0 10.3 10.5 10.8 10.4 
			 The University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne 10.2 11.1 9.7 11.0 10.3 10.8 10.6 10.7 
			 The University of Nottingham 6.7 10.3 6.6 10.2 6.7 9.6 5.9 10.0 
			 The University of Oxford 5.8 9.2 5.8 8.8 4.6 8.4 5.0 8.5 
			 The University of Sheffield 9.5 10.5 9.1 10.5 11.1 10.2 9.9 10.4 
			 The University of Southampton 5.5 11.5 7.0 11.6 5.6 10.8 6.4 11.0 
			 University College London 6.4 11.1 6.5 10.3 6.4 9.6 6.3 9.4 
			 The University of Warwick 7.6 11.3 8.1 10.1 6.9 9.4 7.0 9.5 
			 Cardiff University 9.7 11.1 10.4 11.7 9.2 11.4 10.2 11.6 
			 The University of Edinburgh 8.9 10.9 8.7 10.8 8.2 10.1 9.0 10.1 
			 The University of Glasgow 16.8 11.2 15.8 11.5 16.7 11.3 15.8 11.1 
			 Queen's University Belfast 9.1 11.7 8.2 13.0 8.2 12.2 10.61 12.4 
			 n/a = not available (1) 'Young' refers to entrants who are under 21-years-old (2) The University of Cambridge has taken the opportunity of a new student record system to review the recording of student data. This change prevented the submission of data suitable for presentation at an institutional level in the 2005-06 academic year. A full set of data will be included in this year's publication.

Higher Education: Scholarships

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment he has made of levels of awareness of the availability of bursaries and scholarships for higher education; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: holding answer 29 Febru a ry 2008
	As part of the evaluation of the recent Student Finance communications campaign, we have assessed the level of awareness of bursaries among both students aged 16 to 19 and their parents.
	The research data show that 38 per cent. of parents and 32 per cent. of students are aware of the availability of bursaries as a result of the campaign.
	The responsibility for promoting bursaries and scholarships rests primarily with the universities and colleges who offer higher education courses.
	We continue to support the work of universities and colleges through the Department's own communications activity and make efforts to raise awareness of bursaries alongside all other elements of the higher education student finance package.
	More broadly, post campaign research shows that currently 81 per cent. of students and 80 per cent. of parents are now aware that there is financial support available for students.
	The most recent campaign has shown a marked increase in the awareness of the specific messages relating to non-repayable maintenance grants.
	The latest tracking research shows that 93 per cent. of parents and 88 per cent. of students had watched the campaign on TV. And that 99 per cent. of parents and 94 per cent. of students had seen the campaign on any of the media used. Although the campaign has non repayable grants as its focus it uses messages on all elements of the student finance package and therefore works to promote bursaries.
	One of the main calls to action by the campaign is to visit the campaign website which contains the bursary map. Visitors can use this tool, which is actively updated by DIUS, to find out what bursaries are available from the HEIs they are interested in attending.

Midwifery Students

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 
	(1)  how many midwifery students there were in each year since 1997;
	(2)  when he plans to answer Question 183633, tabled on 28 January 2008, on midwifery students.

Ann Keen: I have been asked to reply.
	The number of students entering training to become a midwife is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  National health service midwifery training places commissioned each year 
			   1996-7  1999-2000  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08( 1) 
			 Degree 161 395 621 709 753 895 1,042 788 1,059 
			 Diploma 498 620 525 724 716 744 517 648 651 
			 Other 993 757 732 677 757 735 661 554 398 
			 Total 1,562 1,772 1,878 2,110 2,226 2,374 2,220 1,990 2,100 
			 (1) Actual figure will not be confirmed until May 2008  Source: Quarterly monitoring returns.

Students: Identity Cards

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills whether international and overseas students will have to be in possession of or use an identity card in order to access study at English higher education institutions in 2009-10 or in any subsequent years.

Liam Byrne: I have been asked to reply.
	The rollout strategy for issuing identity cards to foreign nationals is set out in "Introducing compulsory identity cards for foreign nationals", which was published on 6 March 2008. This means, that from November 2008, foreign national students, subject to immigration control, and who apply for leave to remain in the United Kingdom, will be required to apply for an identity card issued under the UK Borders Act 2007. Eventually, all foreign nationals, subject to immigration control, including students with existing leave, will be required to apply for an identity card.
	The identity card will provide evidence that the holder has leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom as a student. Foreign nationals issued with an identity card will be required to produce it when asked to provide evidence that they are entitled to study at an educational institution.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Departmental Industrial Health and Safety

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many reports by each  (a) Government Department and  (b) Executive agency of incidents were made under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 according to records held by the (i) Incident Contact Centre and (ii) Health and Safety Executive.

Anne McGuire: This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Leaflets

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what arrangements are made for customer testing of the public information leaflets issued by his Department; and what proposals there are for the  (a) recording and  (b) evaluation of such tests.

Anne McGuire: All 66 public information leaflets that are being produced by the Department have been tested with customers prior to publication and general release.
	The results of this testing have been used to further develop the leaflets' content and, where necessary, leaflets have been rewritten and tested again in order to ensure that issues identified by customers have been addressed. The central team that has produced the leaflets maintains a record of the testing that has taken place for each leaflet and the Department has undertaken to test all its leaflets with customers in the future.

Departmental Marketing

Greg Pope: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department spent on publicity and advertising in 2007-08.

Anne McGuire: The Department for Work and Pensions spends money on a wide range of marketing and publicity goods and services which include advertising. Spend on advertising includes the development of advertising campaigns and the purchase of advertising space in regional and national newspapers, television and radio.
	From April 2007 to December 2007, DWP spent £5,221,000 on all its advertising from development through to publication. This figure includes the cost of HR recruitment advertising which totalled £1,228,000.
	DWP also purchases a range of marketing and publicity services which include but are not limited to: design, conferences, translation services, British Sign Language, research, digital media and PR. The overall spend for marketing and publicity services from April 2007 to December 2007 was £20,384,000.

Departmental Sustainable Development

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when his Department plans to publish its sustainable operations policy statement.

James Plaskitt: The Department's Sustainable Development Policy Statement includes our approach to both environmental and social sustainability for DWP and is available on our internet site. Additionally, the second DWP Sustainable Development Action Plan, published in October 2007, contains future plans for the delivery of all our operational targets and is also on our internet site.

Health and Safety Executive: Pay

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people employed by the Health and Safety Executive had salaries between  (a) £20,000 to £30,000,  (b) £30,000 to £40,000,  (c) £40,000 to £50,000,  (d) £50,000 to £60,000,  (e) £60,000 to £70,000,  (f) £70,000 to £80,000,  (g) £80,000 to £90,000,  (h) £90,000 to £100,000,  (i) £100,000 to £110,000,  (j) £110,000 to £120,000,  (k) £120,000 to £130,000,  (l) £130,000 to £140,000,  (m) £140,000 to £150,000,  (n) £150,000 to £160,000,  (o) £160,000 to £170,000,  (p) £170,000 to £180,000,  (q) £180,000 to £190,000,  (r) £190,000 to £200,000 and  (s) over £200,000 in each of the last 30 years; and what the (i) mean and (ii) median salary of employees was in each of those years.

Anne McGuire: The following table shows the salaries ranges, the median and the mean information requested for HSE staff from 1999 to 2007. Information before 1999 could only be extracted at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			Number 
			  Lower range  Higher range  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 £10,000 £20,000 1804 1652 1684 1552 1283 1192 1058 939 851 
			 £20,000 £30,000 1029 1006 1122 1199 1060 1120 1164 974 687 
			 £30,000 £40,000 655 693 703 744 843 855 855 973 1139 
			 £40,000 £50,000 403 464 463 492 477 522 516 416 370 
			 £50,000 £60,000 197 216 236 254 278 296 270 431 341 
			 £60,000 £70,000 20 24 34 66 73 85 87 104 194 
			 £70,000 £80,000 9 9 9 12 12 12 23 25 52 
			 £80,000 £90,000 2 4 6 7 5 4 11 12 7 
			 £90,000 £100,000 1 1 1 5 8 6 2 2 6 
			 £100,000 £110,000 2 1 1 0 0 1 3 3 3 
			 £110,000 £120,000 0 2 2 4 1 1 1 2 2 
			 £120,000 £130,000 0 0 1 0 2 1 1 0 0 
			 £130,000 £140,000 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 2 
			 £140,000 £150,000 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 
			 £150,000 £160,000 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 
			 £160,000 £170,000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 
			 £170,000 £180,000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 £180,000 £190,000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 £190,000 £200,000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			
			 Total(1)  4,122 4,072 4,262 4,336 4,043 4,096 3,993 3,883 3,655 
			 Median(2)  22,620 23,910 23,925 25,058 27,259 27,381 28,021 30,058 31,037 
			 Mean(2)  25,475 26,752 27,128 28,307 29,534 30,155 31,038 32,472 34,221 
			 (1) The total figures are based on headcount. Comparison of these figures and those presented in HSC/E Annual Report are different due to the basis of collection and calculation. (2) The median and mean calculations are based on actual salary figures.

Health and Safety Executive: Pensions

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cash equivalent transfer value is of the public sector pension of the Chief Executive of the Health and Safety Executive. [Official Report, 17 June 2008, Vol. 477, c. 9MC.]

Anne McGuire: The total value of the remuneration package, including the value of the public sector pension, for the chief executive of the Health and Safety Executive is published each year, in June, in the annual accounts. In the latest published information available for 2006-07 accounting year the cash equivalent transfer value is £1,806,000.

Health and Safety Executive: Pensions

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what pension scheme is offered to staff joining the Health and Safety Executive; what the rate of employer contributions to the scheme is; and if he will place in the Library a copy of terms and benefits of the scheme.

Anne McGuire: Staff joining HSE after 30 July 2007 are offered the opportunity to join the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (PCSPS). Within the PCSPS there is a choice of two schemes, either the civil service nuvos pension scheme or a partnership pension where they choose a pension provider from an approved panel.
	The majority of people choose to join the nuvos scheme and the employer contributions from 1 April 2008 are:
	
		
			  Band  Salary (£)  Rates from 1 April 2008 (percentage) 
			 1 19,500 and under 17.1 
			 2 19,501 to 40,500 19.5 
			 3 40,501 to 69,000 23.2 
			 4 69,001 and over 25.5 
		
	
	If they choose a partnership pension the employer contributions are:
	A percentage of pensionable earnings which varies according to the employee's age as at the beginning of the tax year (that is, as at the last 6 April) and so it may increase in the future.
	
		
			  Employer contributions 
			  Age at the last 6 April  Percentage of pensionable earnings 
			 Under 21 3 
			 21 to 25 4.5 
			 26 to 30 6.5 
			 31 to 35 8 
			 36 to 40 10 
			 41 to 45 11.5 
			 46 or over 12.5 
		
	
	On top of this HSE match any regular contributions made up to an additional 3 per cent. of pensionable earnings.
	Full details of the terms and benefits of the PCSPS are available on the civil service pensions website
	www.civilservice-pensions.gov.uk
	including the current scheme rules and publications.

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

Michael Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether a mesothelioma compensation claim made under the provisions of the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill will be required to be submitted within 12 months of the diagnosis of the disease being made; what exceptions to a time limit for submission of claims will apply; and whether an award of compensation for mesothelioma will be required to be paid within six weeks of a claim being lodged. [Official Report, 17 June 2008, Vol. 477, c. 10MC.]

Anne McGuire: There will be a 12 month time limit for claiming a lump sum payment under the new mesothelioma scheme proposed in the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill, but the time limit can be extended if there are good reasons for a delayed claim.
	The intention of the scheme is to make payments as quickly as possible and the 12 month time limit is designed to encourage claims to be made as quickly as possible after diagnosis to enable claimants to receive money in life; it is not intended to exclude people from receiving a payment at all.
	For this reason, we intend that the 12 month time limit to claims to the new mesothelioma scheme from sufferers during the scheme's first year of operation.
	We expect lump sum payments under the new mesothelioma scheme to be made within six weeks of a claim, although this is not a legal requirement.

Industrial Health and Safety: Construction

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people employed in the construction industry in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) the UK have died in the workplace in each year since 1997.

Anne McGuire: The following table shows the numbers of reportable fatal injuries to workers in the construction industry. This does not include deaths in the workplace that are unrelated to work activities. The available geographic data do not allow the constituency of Jarrow to be identified.
	
		
			  Fatal injuries to workers in the construction industry( 1)  as reported to all enforcing authorities 1997-98  to  2006-07( 2) 
			   South Tyneside( 3)  North East( 4)  Great Britain( 5) 
			   Employees  Self-employed  Employees  Self-employed  Employees  Self-employed 
			 1997-98 — — 2 1 58 22 
			 1998-99 — — — — 47 18 
			 1999-2000 — — — — 61 20 
			 2000-01 — — 1 — 73 32 
			 2001-02 — — 8 — 60 20 
			 2002-03 — — 1 — 56 14 
			 2003-04 — 1 3 1 52 19 
			 2004-05 — — — 1 55 14 
			 2005-06 — — 2 1 43 17 
			 2006-07 — — — 1 50 27 
			 (1) Identified by Standard Industrial Classification 1992 (SIC92) Section F-Construction. (2 )Provisional. (3) Identified by local authority code 4520 'South Tyneside'. (4) Identified by Government Office Region and includes South Tyneside LA. (5 )Includes North East Government Office Region.

Industrial Health and Safety: Fines

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what average fine was imposed in  (a) the North East and  (b) the UK on employers for breaches of health and safety regulations in each year since 1997.

Anne McGuire: The average fines per conviction imposed in the North East and Great Britain for breaches of Health and Safety regulations in each year since 1997 were:
	
		
			  Average fine per conviction 
			  £ 
			   In the North East  In Great Britain 
			 1997-98 12,493 4,064 
			 1998-99 3,483 4,722 
			 1999-2000 3,139 6,450 
			 2000-01 4,155 5,782 
			 2001-02 2,498 7,378 
			 2002-03 5,458 5,858 
			 2003-04 8,257 8,519 
			 2004-05 6,027 11,099 
			 2005-06 3,197 224,681 
			 2006-07 5,188 13,103 
		
	
	The majority of these fines are against employers but the figures also include other convictions against individuals such as landlords who have been fined for breaches of Health and Safety regulations.
	The national figures presented are for Great Britain, and do not include figures for heath and safety in Northern Ireland. They are based on both prosecutions initiated by HSE and local authorities.
	The average Great Britain fine in 2005-06 is much greater than other years as it included a large fine of £15,000,000.
	The North East regional figure is based on prosecutions initiated by HSE's Field Operations Directorate and local authorities, apart from 1997-98—2000-01, where regional figures are not available for local authority prosecutions.
	The average fine per conviction is based on the results where fines were imposed by the courts for individual charges laid before the courts. Prosecution cases can contain one or more charges. Only one offence may be charged in any one information laid before the courts. There may be one or more hearings of the charge in court before the court delivers a verdict on each particular offence. Each conviction is a single breach of a specific piece of health and safety legislation.
	The 2006-07 value is the provisional published figure, all other figures are final.

Industrial Health and Safety: Sentencing

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many employer representatives were given custodial sentences for offences for failing to comply with health and safety legislation in each year since 1997.

Anne McGuire: Health and safety legislation does not recognise the term 'employer representative' but does place legal duties on employers and the self-employed. The following table provides the number of custodial sentences for employers and the self-employed in Great Britain from 1999-2000 to 2006-07:
	
		
			   Custodial sentences 
			   Total  Suspended prison sentence  Prison sentence 
			 1999-2000 1 1 0 
			 2000-01 1 1 0 
			 2001-02 0 0 0 
			 2002-03 1 1 0 
			 2003-04 2 2 0 
			 2004-05 4 4 0 
			 2005-06 3 1 2 
			 2006-07 6 3 3 
		
	
	The information requested prior to 1999 is not available.

Remploy

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) disabled and  (b) non-disabled people Remploy employed in its factories on 31 March.

Anne McGuire: As at 31 March 2008, 3,101 disabled people and 348 non-disabled people were employed by Remploy in its factories.

Remploy: Company Cars

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what regulations cover the provision of company cars for senior management in Remploy.

Anne McGuire: The provision of company cars for senior managers in Remploy is an operational matter for the company. There are no specific regulations covering this.

Social Security Benefits: Inverness

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people claimed benefits in Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey constituency in each year since 1997, broken down by benefit claimed.

James Plaskitt: Constituency information is not available prior to 2005. The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Working age and pensioner client groups, by statistical group in the Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey constituency, as at May each year 
			   2005  2006  2007 
			 All 25,660 25,800 25,990 
			 Job seekers 1,060 1,000 820 
			 Incapacity benefits 4,320 4,320 4,330 
			 Lone parent 890 870 800 
			 Carers 900 1,000 1,030 
			 Other income related benefits 3,680 3,790 3,770 
			 Disabled 2,790 2,880 2,940 
			 Bereaved 330 290 250 
			 State pension only 11,690 11,670 12,050 
			  Notes: 1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  2. Totals may not sum due to rounding.  3. Figures for Attendance Allowance, Carers Allowance, and Disability Living Allowance include those cases with entitlement but where payment is currently suspended (for example because of an extended stay in hospital or being in receipt of an overlapping benefit).  4. Statistical group is a hierarchical variable. A person who fits into more than one category will only appear in the top-most one for which they are eligible. Job Seeker: claimant on Jobseekers Allowance; Incapacity benefits: claimant on Incapacity Benefit or Severe Disablement Allowance; Lone Parent: claimant on Income Support with child under 16 and no partner; Carer: claimant entitled to Carer's Allowance; Other Income Related Benefit: claimant on Income Support or Pension Credit; Disabled: claimant on Attendance Allowance or Disability Living Allowance; Bereaved: claimant on Bereavement Benefit or Widow's Benefit; State Pension only: claimant in receipt of State Pension only. For example a claimant of Disability Living Allowance and Jobseekers Allowance would appear in "Job Seeker", not in "Disabled".   Source:  DWP Information Directorate

Social Security Benefits: Inverness

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what the take-up rate of each benefit in Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey constituency was in each year since 1997;
	(2)  what the value of unclaimed income-related benefits in Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey constituency was in each year since 1997, broken down by benefit type.

James Plaskitt: Estimates of take-up and the value of unclaimed benefits are not available below the level of Great Britain. It is therefore not possible to say what the take-up rate, or amount of unclaimed benefit was in Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey constituency.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Children: Language

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of children attending  (a) daycare and  (b) sessions with a childminder spoke English as a second language in each year since 1997.

Beverley Hughes: Data are not collected centrally on the number or proportion of children attending full day care or childminders for whom English was a foreign language.

Departmental Flexible Working

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of staff in his Department and its predecessors had flexible working arrangements in each year since 1997.

Kevin Brennan: Since 1997, all staff in the Department and its predecessors have had the opportunity to work flexibly. A very high proportion of staff have made use of the opportunity, including the 15 per cent. who work part-time and the over 50 per cent. who have occasionally or regularly worked at home over the last 12 months.
	We do not keep records of exact figures centrally and they could be produced only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Higher Civil Servants

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of his Department's and its predecessors' senior civil service staff were women in each year since 1997.

Kevin Brennan: In December 2007 the Department had a total of 106 staff in the senior civil service, of these 48 (45.28 per cent.) were women.
	The Department was formed as part of the machinery of government changes announced on 28 June 2007. Although not directly comparable due to staff changes, its predecessor was the Department for Education and Skills which had 131 staff in the senior civil service, of which 53 (40.46 per cent.) were women at December 2006. Figures for earlier years can be found in the civil service statistics archive:
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/about/statistics/archive/index.asp

Departmental Legislation

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what criminal offences have been abolished by primary legislation sponsored by his Department and its predecessors since May 1997.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Legislation

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what criminal offences have been created by primary legislation sponsored by his Department since July 2007.

Kevin Brennan: No new offences have been created by primary legislation sponsored by the Department for Children, Schools and Families since July 2007.

Departmental Part-Time Employment

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of staff in his Department and its predecessors worked part-time in each year since 1997.

Kevin Brennan: The latest figures available (December 2007) record a total of 2,914 staff in the Department, of which 453 (15.59 per cent.) worked part-time.
	The Department was formed as part of the Machinery of Government changes of 28 June 2007. It is therefore not exactly comparable to its predecessor, the Department for Education and Skills, but it does build on a wide range of flexible working patterns that were developed in the previous Department. As a guideline, the Department for Education and Skills had a total of 3,547 staff in December 2006, of which 521 (14.69 per cent.) worked part-time. Figures for earlier years can be found in the civil service statistics archive:
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/about/statistics/archive/index.asp

Departmental Redundancy

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 16 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1269W, on departmental redundancy, what the cost was of redundancies in the predecessors to his Department in the 12 months preceding  (a) 30 June 2004,  (b) 30 June 2005 and  (c) 30 June 2006.

Kevin Brennan: Further to my previous reply (PQ 175333) that the Department for Children, Schools and Families has had no redundancies since it was formed, I can also confirm that there were no redundancies in the predecessor Department for Education and Skills in the periods described, and therefore no redundancy costs.

Departmental Vetting

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps his Department has taken to ensure that  (a) paid staff and  (b) volunteers are subject to a Criminal Records Bureau check before starting work in the last 12 months.

Kevin Brennan: All individuals recruited to a regulated post or to a post where they have access to personal or sensitive data about children or vulnerable adults, have been subject to, or are currently undergoing, enhanced Criminal Records Bureau check, as a matter of course.
	We do not currently have any volunteers in the Department.

Departmental Written Questions

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what progress his Department has made on its Parliamentary Question tracking system to record whether named day questions are provided with a substantive answer on the due day since November 2007.

Kevin Brennan: Although parts of the Department's PQ tracking system have been upgraded there is still some outstanding work to be completed on the parts of the system that provide management information reports. In the interim, the parliamentary team are maintaining a manual check on all named day questions to monitor the timeliness of replies.

Education: Assessments

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the pilot Stage Not Age tests; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Single level tests are being trialled as one element of the Making Good Progress pilot, which runs from September 2007 to July 2009. One round of tests has taken place as part of the pilot, with three other test windows to follow. Making Good Progress is being independently evaluated by PricewaterhouseCoopers, whose final report is due in 2009.

Education: Research

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department spent on educational research in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: Details of the Department's expenditure on educational research for each year since 2003 are noted as follows.
	
		
			   £ 
			 2003 16,523,705 
			 2004 23,322,938 
			 2005 20,280,123 
			 2006 24,466,756 
			 2007 26,770,579

Home Education

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the number of children under the age of 16 years who were home educated in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: We have made no estimate of the numbers of children under the age of 16 who were home educated in each of the years since 1997.

Languages: General Certificate of Secondary Education

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many non-selective mainstream maintained schools entered 90 per cent. or more of their eligible pupils for a modern language GCSE in  (a) 2004,  (b) 2005,  (c) 2006 and  (d) 2007;
	(2)  how many non-selective mainstream maintained schools entered 10 per cent. or less of their eligible pupils for a modern language GCSE in  (a) 2004,  (b) 2005,  (c) 2006 and  (d) 2007;
	(3)  how many non-selective mainstream maintained schools entered no pupils for a modern language GCSE in  (a) 2004,  (b) 2005,  (c) 2006 and  (d) 2007;
	(4)  how many non-selective mainstream maintained schools did not have any pupils awarded a modern language GCSE at grades A* to C in  (a) 2004,  (b) 2005,  (c) 2006 and  (d) 2007;
	(5)  how many non-selective mainstream maintained schools did not have any pupils awarded a  (a) French and  (b) German GCSE at (i) grades A* to C and (ii) any grade in (A) 2004, (B) 2005, (C) 2006 and (D) 2007.

Jim Knight: The information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Parents: Advisory Services

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the cost of parenting advisers in each year from 2008-09 to 2011-12; what their function will be; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: The Children's Plan announced funding for up to two 'parenting experts' in every local authority. These experts will deliver one to one and group-based support to parents as well as supporting local parenting commissioners in the implementation of their Parenting Strategy. In 2008-09, over £8 million has been allocated to fund these posts and we expect to spend around £12 million each year over 2009-10 and 2010-11.

Pre-School Education: Standards

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of childcare staff in nurseries had an appropriate level 3 or higher qualification in  (a) Basingstoke constituency,  (b) Hampshire and  (c) England in each of the last five years.

Beverley Hughes: The Childcare and Early Years Providers survey collects information on staff qualifications that are relevant to working with children and young people. The percentage of paid staff in England holding at least a level 3 qualification for each year available is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Table: Percentage of paid staff holding at least a Level 3 qualification 
			   2003  2005  2006 
			 Full day care 57 63 73 
			 Full day care in children's centres n/a n/a 80 
			 Sessional 44 55 58 
			 After school clubs 37 n/a 51 
			 Holiday clubs 30 n/a 53 
			 Childminders n/a n/a 38 
			 Nursery schools 78 n/a 80 
			 Primary schools with nursery and reception classes 72 n/a 77 
			 Primary schools with reception but no nursery classes 64 n/a 71 
			  Notes: 1. Children's centres were included in the survey for the first time In 2006; therefore data is not available for previous years. 2. After school and holiday clubs were sampled differently in 2005 and comparable figures for this year are not available. 3. In 2006 childminders who said they held a level 3 qualification were asked whether they had a childminding certificate and if so whether they held all of the modules. Those who only held some of the modules were not classed as holding a level 3 qualification. Comparable data for previous years are not available. 4. Early years settings in maintained schools were not included in the 2005 survey. Data are not available at a local authority level.

Press

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many press office staff were employed by  (a) his Department,  (b) its agencies and  (c) its non-departmental public bodies (i) in each year since 1996-97 and (ii) at the latest date for which information is available.

Kevin Brennan: The Department for Children, Schools and Families was established in June 2007 and currently employs the full time equivalent of 20.5 press officers. It is not possible except at disproportionate cost to identify the number of press officers previously employed by the Department for Education and Skills. The Department does not hold information on non-departmental public bodies.

Primary Education: Teachers

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the minimum qualifications to  (a) enter training to become and  (b) take up employment as a teacher in a primary school are; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: In order to enter an initial teacher training programme, trainee primary teachers must have at least a grade 'C' or equivalent in GGSE maths, English and a science subject. Initial teacher training providers will typically also set additional requirements for entry to initial teacher training courses such as A-levels, NVQs or work experience. In order to enter a postgraduate course, trainee teachers must also have a degree. This also applies to the employment-based routes into teaching; with the exception of the Registered Teacher Programme which requires that trainees have completed two years (240 CATS) of higher education.
	In order to take up employment as a teacher in a primary school, a primary teacher should have successfully completed a course of initial teacher training and been awarded qualified teacher status, having met the standards required of a skilled teacher. Regardless of the route, a first degree or an equivalent and passing the professional skills tests in numeracy, literacy and information communication technology are also requirements for the award of qualified teacher status (QTS).
	These requirements reflect a belief that all teachers should have a good standard of knowledge in the core subjects and that teaching is a job towards which our best and brightest young people should aspire. They also give parents confidence in the knowledge and competence of the teachers educating their children.

Pupil Exclusions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many schools gave fixed-period exclusions to  (a) more than five per cent. and  (b) more than 10 per cent. of their pupils in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many  (a) secondary and  (b) primary school pupils were excluded for a fixed period on (i) five or more occasions and (ii) 10 or more occasions in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: Information on fixed period exclusions was collected for the first time in 2003-04.
	The number of schools excluding more than 5 and more than 10 per cent. of their school population for a fixed period is not readily available and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The available information showing the number of times pupils have been excluded for a fixed period is published annually by the Department. These figures can be found in the Statistical First Release 'DCSF: Permanent and Fixed Period Exclusions from Schools and Exclusion Appeals in England', the latest of which refer to the 2005-06 school year and can be accessed at (table 17):
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000733/index.shtml
	Due to underlying changes in the data collection, information on fixed period exclusions was only collected from secondary schools in 2005-06. This coverage will extend to also include primary schools in 2006-07. Equivalent publications are available, relating to fixed period exclusions during 2003-04 and 2004-05.
	Exclusions data relating to the 2006-07 school year are expected to be published in June 2008.

Pupil Exclusions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what evidence his Department holds on the effect of fixed period exclusions on pupil behaviour; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: The Department does not hold research on the specific effect of fixed period exclusions on behaviour. However, the report on School Behaviour and Discipline, published in 2006, noted that fixed period exclusion can be an extremely effective form of sanction as part of a well thought out strategy for tackling poor behaviour. Ofsted inspection evidence suggests that one to three days is often long enough to secure the benefits of exclusion without adverse educational consequences.
	The Government recognise the challenge that managing pupils behaviour can present and the hard work involved in achieving standards of behaviour. That is why this is the first Government to implement a comprehensive national programme to strengthen schools' capacity to manage behaviour.
	The Ofsted report can be downloaded at:
	http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/portal/site/Internet/menuitem.eace3f09a603f6d9c3172a8a08c08a0c/?vgnextoid=ee1a4500b58ae010VgnVCM1000003507640aRCRD
	The Steer report can be downloaded at:
	http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/learningmentors/downloads/steer.pdf

Reading: Teaching Methods

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what his policy is on  (a) systematic and  (b) synthetic phonics; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what research his Department has conducted into the effects of teaching reading through the use of  (a) synthetic and  (b) systematic phonics.

Jim Knight: The Department's policy on phonics is to implement the recommendations of Sir Jim Rose's Independent Review of the Teaching of Early Reading which advocates that high quality, systematic phonic work should be the prime approach in teaching children to read.
	The Review took account of extensive evidence from a range of sources including oral and written evidence from individuals and associations; and visits to settings, schools and training events. A copy of the Review which outlines this evidence is available in the House Libraries.
	Sir Jim has provided an update on how well his recommendations are being implemented. A copy of his letter has been placed in the House Libraries. More detail will be available in the autumn when Sir Jim's interim report on the Primary Curriculum is published.

Schools: Catering

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which local authorities have applied for exceptional capital funding for new kitchens in schools as announced in December 2007; which local authorities will receive such funding; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: We have received applications for exceptional capital funding for new kitchens in schools from 14 local authorities. These are: Bournemouth; Buckinghamshire; Dorset; Gloucestershire; Harrow; Hillingdon; Lincolnshire; Northamptonshire; North East Lincolnshire; North Somerset; Plymouth; Swindon; West Sussex; and Wigan. My officials are currently considering those bids and we plan to make an announcement in May.
	New nutritional food-based standards for school lunch were introduced in September 2006 and nutrient-based standards, stipulating the nutrients required for school lunches, will be introduced for primary schools by 2008 and for secondary schools by 2009. These new standards need to be underpinned by good kitchen and dining facilities in schools. This is why we have placed a greater priority on the building and refurbishment of school kitchens within the Government's capital programme for school buildings and made available this specific grant to build new kitchens in areas that have large concentrations of schools without kitchens.

Schools: Finance

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he intends to announce the results of the recent applications for funding from the basic needs allocation safety valve Fund.

Jim Knight: My officials have now assessed all applications to the basic needs safety valve. However, it was necessary for the Department to seek clarification from a number of authorities on the information provided. I expect to be in a position to take final decisions on the applications shortly, and to make the results known shortly thereafter.

Schools: Governing Bodies

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what plans he has to reduce the size of school governing bodies; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: We believe that smaller, more highly skilled governing bodies, alongside improved governor training will provide more effective governance for schools. As we indicated in the Children's Plan, we will be consulting stakeholders on reducing the size of governing bodies. As a first step, a stakeholder working group has been established to consider reforming governance in this way. Good governance and leadership is essential if we are to achieve better outcomes for all children and young people.

Schools: Recycling

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of waste from schools was recycled in  (a) 2001,  (b) 2002,  (c) 2003,  (d) 2004,  (e) 2005,  (f) 2006 and  (g) 2007.

Jim Knight: The Department does not gather statistics on the amounts of waste collected from schools. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs collects statistics on the amount of municipal waste and what happens to it, but where it is collected from is not recorded.

Schools: Sports

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what average time was spent by school children on physical education, broken down by year group, in each year for which figures are available.

Kevin Brennan: Data on PE and sport is collected from the annual School Sport Survey, which began in 2003/04. Total curriculum time that all pupils in each year group spend taking part in PE in a typical week, is as follows:
	
		
			   2003/04  2004/05  2005/06  2006/07 
			 Year 1 89 96 107 115 
			 Year 2 89 96 107 116 
			 Year 3 96 103 111 118 
			 Year 4 97 103 112 119 
			 Year 5 97 104 113 119 
			 Year 6 97 104 112 118 
			 Year 7 123 124 125 126 
			 Year 8 120 123 124 124 
			 Year 9 116 118 120 120 
			 Year 10 94 101 97 97 
			 Year 11 91 98 94 94 
			 All 101 107 111 115

Schools: Sustainable Development

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the number of schools that use  (a) occupancy/daylight saving light sensors,  (b) infra-red operated faucets,  (c) fully condensing boilers,  (d) underfloor heating and  (e) rainwater harvesting systems.

Jim Knight: We do not hold information on the numbers of schools that have installed  (a) occupancy/daylight saving light sensors,  (b) infra-red operated faucets,  (c) fully condensing boilers,  (d) underfloor heating and  (e) rainwater harvesting systems.
	Investment in measures of this nature would typically be funded from budgets delegated to schools and local authorities. This information may be held at a local authority or school level.

Schools: Water

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much was spent by schools on water services in  (a) 2001,  (b) 2002,  (c) 2003,  (d) 2004,  (e) 2005,  (f) 2006 and  (g) 2007.

Jim Knight: The information about expenditure by local authority maintained schools in England on water and sewage for 2002-03 to 2006-07 is contained within the following table:
	
		
			  Expenditure by local authority maintained schools on water and sewerage (E15) 
			   £ 
			 2002-03 61,717,000 
			 2003-04 65,815,000 
			 2004-05 68,549,000 
			 2005-06 78,139,000 
			 2006-07 83,846,000

Schools: Water

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much waste water was produced by schools in  (a) 2001,  (b) 2002,  (c) 2003,  (d) 2004,  (e) 2005,  (f) 2006 and  (g) 2007.

Jim Knight: Waste water produced by schools cannot be accurately quantified because it is not metered. It is normally assumed that all water supplied to a school is retuned to sewers as waste water, although the actual volume of waste water is slightly less than that supplied, the difference being due to small volumes of water used for irrigation on school sites and/or evaporation from swimming pools.
	The Department does not have information on the total water supplied to all schools in England. However, we have gathered benchmarking information on water use for the years 2001 to 2006 for a sample of schools. This has been analysed to determine average water use per pupil as summarised in the following table.
	
		
			   Average annual water consumption (cu.m/pupil) 
			Primary  Secondary 
			   Nursery  With pool  Without pool  With pool  Without pool 
			 2000/01 3.41 4.31 3.80 5.08 3.86 
			 2001/02 4.28 4.35 4.03 5.06 3.96 
			 2002/03 4.21 4.48 4.02 5.08 3.82 
			 2003/04 3.50 5.16 3.99 5.08 3.70 
			 2004/05 3.52 4.95 4.08 4.89 3.75 
			 2005/06 3.71 4.91 4.11 5.39 3.75

Secondary Education: Assessments

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families in how many schools more than 50 per cent. of pupils did not gain level 5 or above in a combination of reading, writing and mathematics tests at key stage three in the last year for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Secondary Education: Teaching Methods

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families by what date he expects every secondary school child to have a personal tutor; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Our expectation, as described in the Children's Plan, is that all secondary school pupils will have access to a personal tutor from 2010.

Teachers: Qualifications

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many people employed as teachers in Milton Keynes Local Education Authority area have only qualifications obtained abroad.

Jim Knight: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Textbooks

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his policy is on allowing pupils to take school textbooks home.

Jim Knight: It is for schools to decide whether or not pupils should take textbooks home from school.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Allotments: Finance

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the funding provided for allotments; what mechanisms are in place to assess the effectiveness of allotment funding against its objectives; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: Funding for allotments is available through the financial support that all local authorities receive from central Government. It is up to local authorities to ensure that adequate funding is in place for allotments according to their local needs, and to assess the effectiveness of their funding. As this should be a local responsibility, based on specific local circumstances the Secretary of State has not made any assessment of the effectiveness of funding provided for allotments.

Building Regulations: Public Participation

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects to launch a public consultation on amendments to the Building Regulations; and whether such consultations will include proposed revisions to regulations regarding hot water and safety.

Iain Wright: We anticipate that public consultation on possible amendments to Part G of the Building Regulations will be published in the next few weeks. This consultation will consider the issue of hot water safety alongside other issues.

Conference Centres: Finance

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether her Department provides any (a) capital and  (b) revenue support to any conference or exhibition centre; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: The Department sponsors the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre (QEIICC) in Westminster, an Executive agency with Trading Fund status. The QEIICC trading fund is required to cover all its expenditure from income from room hire and other activities and pay the Department an annual dividend to cover the cost of capital charge incurred by the Department. In 2006-07, the QEIICC trading fund generated income of £10.4 million on its operating activities. The Department retains landlord responsibility for the QEIICC building, and undertakes capital expenditure on the building as and when it is deemed to be necessary. In 2006-07, the Department incurred capital expenditure of £0.985 million mainly in respect of replacement air-handling units.

Council Tax: Students

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether doctoral postgraduate students during their six month thesis write up stage are classed as full-time students and eligible for a council tax exemption.

John Healey: The definition of a student for council tax purposes is set out in the Local Government Finance Act 1992 and the Council Tax (Discounts Disregards) Order 1992. It is for each individual local authority to decide who is classed as a student and in doing so to satisfy itself that the legislative requirements have been met before granting a student exemption from council tax.

Council Tax: Tax Yields

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Bromley of 5 March 2008,  Official Report, column 2498W, on council tax: tax yields, when the data for 2007-08 will be available.

John Healey: The data will be available in June 2008 following the publication of the Statistical Release "Collection rates for council tax and non-domestic rates in England—2007-08".

Departmental ICT

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the  (a) start date,  (b) original planned completion date,  (c) current expected completion date,  (d) planned cost and  (e) current estimated cost is for each information technology project being undertaken by her Department and its agencies; and if she will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: IT projects(1) undertaken by Communities and Local Government (CLG) and its Agencies are as shown in the table.
	(1) Two of CLG's major change projects, Firelink and FireControl, do not feature in the table as in both cases the IT component represents only one part of the overall project activity. FireLink is a radio communications system project for the Fire and Rescue Service across Great Britain, which started in mid 2002 and was originally due to complete at the end of 2007. It is now expected to complete in mid 2009. Estimated costs have remained the same at £400 million for Great Britain. FireControl is principally a business change project, which started in 2004 with an expected completion date in 2009. It is now expected to complete in 2011. Estimated costs have risen from £120 million to £190 million.
	
		
			  Communities and Local Government (including regional co-ordination unit and Government offices in the regions) 
			  Project  Start date  Original planned completion date  Expected completion date  Originally planned costs (£000)  Estimated planned costs (£000) 
			 Website Rationalisation (incorporating Info4local Rebuild project)(1) December 2005 June 2008 December 2008 3,200 (2)3,600 
			 Fire Incident Recording System January 2006 December 2006 March 2008 1,300 2,990 
			 LINK (New corporate desktop system) February 2005 October 2006 February 2008 2,064 2,064 
			 EDRMS October 2006 December 2006 June 2008 699 699 
			 Replacement Infrastructure for Peoplesoft HR System November 2006 May 2007 March 2008 537 537 
			 CLG Payroll Replacement System May 2007 March 2008 March 2008 382 382 
			 SAP Implementing Benefits January 2008 February 2009 February 2009 364 364 
			 Smarter Business Process (SAP Enhancement) September 2007 April 2008 August 2008 350 350 
			 Blackberry Service July 2007 April 2008 April 2008 239 239 
			 Government Offices Human Resources Database, further development April 2007 March 2008 March 2008 150 176 
			 Government Offices Online Performance Management System, further development April 2007 March 2008 March 2008 150 150 
			   
			  (b) Agencies of the Department 
			  Planning Inspectorate  
			 Fast-track Householder Appeal Service—Stage 1 (Validation and Planning) September 2007 December 2007 February 2008 130 130 
			 Server Virtualisation Project October 2007 March 2008 March 2008 105 105 
			 Programme and Project Management Tool (Hydra) March 2007 October 2007 February 2008 95 95 
			   
			  Fire Service College  
			 Fire Service College Managed Learning System(3) January 2006 April 2007 May 2008 5,500 5,500 
			   
			  QEII Conference Centre  
			 Meeting Matrix June 2007 September 2007 February 2008 65 65 
			 (1) A project to rebuild the Info41ocal website was approved in November 2004 at a cost of £244,000. The project was deferred for later incorporation into the Department's Website Rationalisation Project. (2) Plus £400 for Info41ocal. (3) The FRS Managed Learning Environment referred to in the answer of 3 September 2007,  Official Report, columns 1645-6W is the same project. The longer delivery timetable is the outcome of a college review of the business case for the project. It was decided the range of benefits from the project should be extended, resulting in more deliverables, and that more time should be allowed to implement the extended package. The costs figures given in that answer refer to the whole life costs for the project including operations costs following the transition into live operation.

Eco-Towns: Leicestershire

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much and what proportion of the area within Harborough District that is proposed to be occupied by the eco-town promoted by the Co-operative Wholesale Society and English Partnerships is currently used for  (a) agricultural and  (b) airport transport purposes; and how much of that area is covered by (i) in use and (ii) redundant permanent structures.

Caroline Flint: Like all the shortlisted locations for eco-towns the one promoted by the Co-operative Wholesale Society and English Partnerships is subject to consultation and at this stage final decisions on the size and location are still to be determined. In the consultation document "Eco-towns—Living a greener future" that was published on 3 April we have provided a description of the location for this eco-town and copies of this document are available in the House Library. Also as part of the Co-operative Estates local consultation they have set up a website that provides further information about their proposal including land use.

Housing: Carbon Emissions

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many new homes have been built since the zero rate of stamp duty for zero-carbon homes was introduced.

Caroline Flint: h olding answer 21 April 2008
	 The zero rate of stamp duty for zero-carbon homes was introduced on the 1 October 2007. In England there were 48,467 dwellings completed in the quarter 1 October to 31 December 2007.
	 Source:
	P2 house building returns from local authorities and the National House Building Council (NHBC)

Housing: Immigration

Peter Lilley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will estimate the impact on housing prices of the level of immigration projected by the Government Actuary's Department.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 21 April 2008
	An estimate of the migration impact on housing has not been made by the Government.
	The national housing and planning advice unit (NHPAU) which provides independent advice to Government on housing affordability, has produced estimates of the ratio of lower quartile house prices to lower quartile earnings up to 2026. These results use the 2004-based levels of population (including migration) projected by the Government Actuary's Department. The results can be found in their publication "Developing a target range for the supply of new homes in England" at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingsupply/nhpau/publications/supplynewhomes/

Housing: Inspections

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what qualifications domestic energy assessors are required to have before administering the home information pack scheme; and whether the required qualifications have changed since the scheme was first introduced.

Caroline Flint: To qualify as a domestic energy assessor (DEA), an individual must demonstrate that they satisfy the requirements of the National Occupational Standards for DEAs. These standards have not changed since their introduction in January 2007.

Non-Domestic Rates

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the Local Authority Business Growth Incentive scheme for 2008-09 will include incentive payment for additional business rate revenue collected due to  (a) empty property business rates and  (b) an increase in the number on frequency of empty dwellings.

John Healey: Under the original three-year LABGI scheme, the Chancellor allocated up to £l billion to local authorities in England and Wales for 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08. The Government intend to make payments under a reformed scheme from 2009-10, and are considering these plans. This will allow us to look carefully at the lessons learned from the original scheme and to consult widely on how to get the best possible outcomes from a reformed scheme.

Parish Councils: Finance

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many submissions to the consultation on the Community Infrastructure Levy referred to the potential access of parish councils to this fund.

Caroline Flint: Our publication on the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), published on 24 January, sets out the background to the CIL and more detail on the provisions in the Planning Bill. It also explains how the Government are continuing to develop the detail of the CIL in consultation with stakeholders.
	The question of Parish councils' potential access to CIL funds is not an issue which has been raised in correspondence received so far.
	The 24 January CIL publication 'The Community Infrastructure Levy' is available in the House library.

Property: Valuation

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer of 31 January 2007,  Official Report, column 315W, on the Valuation Office, how domestic dwellings in England are recorded by the Valuation Office Agency as having the property attribute of having  (a) one bathroom and  (b) more than one bathroom.

John Healey: As at 2 April 2008, of the 22,507,086 dwellings in England the Valuation Office Agency has recorded  (a) 19,566,590 with one bathroom and  (b) 2,508,704 with two or more bathrooms. In the answer given on 31 January 2007 the number of dwellings stated as 21,849,763 was the number of dwellings with data recorded against the "number of bathrooms" field. The figure as at 31 January 2007 for the total number of dwellings in England was 22,240,777.

Recreation Spaces: Databases

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when the green space database will be  (a) completed and  (b) available for use by local authorities in relation to allotments.

Iain Wright: The first phase of the green space database is currently being developed and will be completed and available for use by local authorities in June 2008. This will incorporate current green space datasets, including information about allotments. This will enable local authorities to map available data, including commenting on information.
	The second phase will be ongoing from June 2008. This will consider what further activities are required to ensure the existing database is of most use to stakeholders.

Regional Planning and Development: Fines

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Peterborough (Mr. Jackson) of 20 March 2008,  Official Report, column 1378W, on regional planning and development: fines, what the monetary value was of the financial correction levied.

John Healey: The financial correction levied by the European Commission in respect of the Objective 2 and Urban II ERDF programmes in the North West of England was €24,790,591. I wrote to the chair of the CLG Select Committee on 18 March 2008 with details and placed a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Regional Planning and Development: Greenwich Peninsula

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her most recent estimate is of the revenue which will accrue to the public purse from the redevelopment of the Greenwich Peninsula.

Caroline Flint: A re-assessment is currently under way. It is expected that a new financial model for forecasting returns from the development will be completed by summer 2008. Once this is in place, English Partnerships will be able to make a revised assessment of the latest forecast return.
	The National Audit Office (NAO) have recently looked into progress on the delivery of the Greenwich Peninsula regeneration project. The NAO report is still being prepared but will include an updated assessment by both NAO and EP of the latest forecast financial return to the taxpayer. However as the new model is not yet finalised these assessments of necessity will derive from the existing financial model developed in 2004 which was not designed for monitoring profits and which is out of date in terms of phasing of the development. NAO's report is likely to be published before summer recess.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she plans to answer Question 197946 on flood damage, tabled on 26 March 2008.

Parmjit Dhanda: The hon. Member's question was answered on 21 April 2008,  Official Report, column 1405W.

JUSTICE

Administration of Justice: Inspections

David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many times the contract of the Chief Inspector of  (a) prisons,  (b) probation and  (c) court administration has been extended without a competitive process or since the inception of the post, as appropriate.

Maria Eagle: Anne Owers CBE was appointed HM Chief Inspector of Prisons in August 2001 following a competitive recruitment exercise. Ms Owers' appointment has since been extended on two occasions.
	Andrew Bridges CBE was appointed HM Chief Inspector of Probation in April 2004, having served as Deputy to the previous Chief Inspector, Professor Rod Morgan. Mr. Bridges' appointment has been extended on two occasions. Mr. Morgan was appointed in August 2001 following a competitive recruitment exercise.
	Eddie Bloomfield was appointed HM Chief Inspector of Court Administration in June 2005 following a competitive recruitment exercise. Mr. Bloomfield was reappointed from January 2008, also on the basis of a competitive exercise.

Administration of Justice: Inspections

David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average length of service of chief inspectors of  (a) court administration,  (b) probation and  (c) prisons have been since the inception of the posts.

Maria Eagle: There has been only one holder of the office of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Court Administration since it was established in its current statutory form. Eddie Bloomfield has served as Chief Inspector since his appointment in June 2005 and reappointment in January 2008.
	Since the office of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons was first established in its current statutory form by the Criminal Justice Act 1982, the average (mean) length of service by post-holders has been approximately 6.5 years. This figure includes the tenure to date of the current post-holder, Anne Owers CBE, but does not include the tenure of William Pearce, who died after approximately one year's service.
	Since the office of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Probation was first established in its current statutory form by the Criminal Justice Act 1991, the average (mean) length of service by post-holders has been approximately five years. This figure includes the tenure to date of the current post-holder, Andrew Bridges CBE.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether his Department has adopted the Carbon Trust's Carbon Management Programme or plans to do so in the next 12 months.

Maria Eagle: The Ministry of Justice is currently working with the Carbon Trust to identify how it can adopt the Carbon Trust's Carbon Management Programme and what benefits would result from this. A decision will be taken on whether we can adopt the Management Programme once this work has been completed.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether his Department met the target in the Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate to reverse the then upward trend in carbon emissions by April 2007.

Maria Eagle: The Ministry of Justice was created on 9 May 2007, therefore this answer covers former Department for Constitutional Affairs and parts of the Home Office, listed in the Sustainable Development Commission's Sustainable Development in Government report, did not meet the target.
	Work is ongoing within the Ministry of Justice to drive down the amount of carbon emissions released from the estate and between 2005-06 and 2006-07 the carbon emissions from MoJ headquarters decreased by approximately 4 per cent. Although this target applies to offices only, the Prison Service, which became part of the new Ministry on 9 May 2007, has been working for some years towards reducing energy consumption (and, consequently, carbon emissions) across the prison estate. The service has achieved reduction of 4 per cent. in energy use as against the 1999 baseline, a decrease in the consumption of fossil fuels by about 7 per cent. (both against a rising prison population) and currently obtains 18 per cent. of electricity from renewable resources. It will continue this work in 2008 by introducing a Carbon Management Programme working with the Carbon Trust.
	The Ministry of Justice has now established its own Sustainable Development Action Plan that sets out how it will work towards meeting the remaining SOGE energy targets.

Departmental Internet

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was spent on the most recent redesign and implementation of his Departmental website.

Bridget Prentice: The cost of the most recent redesign and implementation of the Ministry of Justice corporate website www.justice.gov.uk was as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 Site design 14,250 
			 Imagery 889 
			 Additional web developer resource recruited for two weeks 1,500 
			 Total 16,639 
		
	
	These costs do not include ongoing software licenses, domain name rental, hosting, telecoms and in-house staff costs.
	Most of the work was completed in house, by the existing Ministry of Justice web team.

Departmental Sick Leave

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many working days were lost by his Department due to stress-related illness in each of the last 24 months.

Maria Eagle: Detailed monthly information on sickness absence for the whole of the Ministry of Justice is not held centrally and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost. The only Department that holds this information is the public sector Prison Service and is included in table 1 as follows. Information for NOMS and OCJR and for the former DCA for 2006-07 is derived from a Cabinet Office report on sickness absence in the civil service published on 7 February 2008 and is set out in table 2. Earlier data are not available. The Cabinet Office report for 2005 did not provide a detailed breakdown of reasons for sickness absence by individual Department. The tables include data on days lost that were classified as mental and behavioural disorders, a high proportion of which will be stress related.
	
		
			  Table  1: Working days lost due to mental and behavioural disorders in the public sector Prison Service 
			   Working days lost attributed to mental and behavioural disorders 
			 January 2006 10,642 
			 February 2006 9,420 
			 March 2006 9,913 
			 April 2006 9,684 
			 May 2006 10,350 
			 June 2006 10,752 
			 July 2006 11,427 
			 August 2006 11,548 
			 September 2006 10,714 
			 October 2006 11,735 
			 November 2006 12,019 
			 December 2006 12,710 
			 January 2007 11,698 
			 February 2007 10,412 
			 March 2007 11,426 
			 April 2007 10,445 
			 May 2007 11,191 
			 June 2007 10,831 
			 July 2007 12,103 
			 August 2007 12,409 
			 September 2007 11,614 
			 October 2007 11,961 
			 November 2007 11,055 
			 December 2007 11,004 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Total working days lost and proportion attributed to mental and behavioural disorders in former Department for Constitutional Affairs, the National Offender Management Service and the Office of Criminal Justice Reform—2006-07 
			   Total days lost  Proportion lost to mental disorders (percentage) 
			 Magistrates Court Committee 106,438 19 
			 HM Courts Service 60,911 17 
			 Former Department for Constitutional Affairs 9,689 14 
			 Tribunal Service 7,681 13 
			 Office of the Public Guardian 1,066 38 
			 Scotland Office 121 0 
			 Wales Office 95 6 
			 National Offender Management Service 11,135 20 
			 Office of Criminal Justice Reform 1,347 29 
			  Note: The Cabinet Office published a report on sickness absence in the civil service on 7 February 2008. The report included an analysis of the days lost due to sickness absence for each Department by reasons for absence. The table sets out the figures for 2006-07 for the constituent parts of this Department, which were in place prior to the creation of the Ministry of Justice in May 2007. Information on the reasons for sickness absence prior to 2006-07 is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Sick Leave

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many of his Department's staff took more than  (a) five,  (b) 10,  (c) 15,  (d) 20,  (e) 25,  (f) 30,  (g) 35 and  (h) 40 days leave due to stress in each of the last five years, broken down by pay grade.

Maria Eagle: Detailed information on sickness absence for the whole of the Ministry of Justice is not held centrally and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost. The only Department that holds this information is the public sector Prison Service which is set out for each year in tables 1 to 5 as follows. The tables include data on days lost that were classified as mental and behavioural disorders, a high proportion of which will be stress related.
	
		
			  Table 1: Public sector Prison Service staff taking more than five days of sick leave for mental and behavioural problems by broad grade group—2003 
			   Working days lost due to mental and behavioural problems 
			  Grade at 31 December 2003  More than 5  More than 10  More than 15  More than 20  More than 25  More than 30  More than 35  More than 40 
			 Senior Managers 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 
			 Managers 11 3 4 5 2 4 1 43 
			 Principal Officer 4 5 1 5 4 1 1 24 
			 Senior Officer 28 18 17 14 5 4 6 97 
			 Prison Officer 137 116 85 94 56 50 44 627 
			 Support Grades 40 46 29 26 19 24 11 157 
			 Healthcare 14 12 17 8 8 5 2 48 
			 Administration 39 39 26 22 16 10 9 92 
			 Industrials 19 19 8 8 11 3 5 57 
			 Specialists 2 3 3 0 2 1 2 18 
			 Unknown 12 9 3 4 8 3 3 25 
			 Total 307 270 193 186 131 105 85 1,192 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Public sector Prison Service staff taking more than five days of sick leave for mental and behavioural problems by broad grade group—2004 
			   Working days lost due to mental and behavioural problems 
			  Grad e  at 31 December 2004  More than 5  More than 10  More than 15  More than 20  More than 25  More than 30  More than 35  More than 40 
			 Senior Managers 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 
			 Managers 7 5 3 7 1 4 3 32 
			 Principal Officer 5 3 3 3 1 2 2 17 
			 Senior Officer 17 16 18 8 6 8 7 81 
			 Prison Officer 101 123 102 83 45 64 52 528 
			 Support Grades 43 48 34 35 22 20 16 173 
			 Healthcare 22 17 9 10 4 3 5 50 
			 Administration 37 30 39 21 13 14 11 104 
			 Industrials 19 14 8 6 2 7 7 56 
			 Specialists 6 1 3 1 1 1 3 14 
			 Unknown 5 11 4 8 3 5 2 34 
			 Total 262 269 224 182 99 129 108 1,089 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Public sector Prison Service staff taking more than five days of sick leave for mental and behavioural problems by broad grade group—2005 
			   Working days lost due to mental and behavioural problems 
			  Grade at 31 December 2005  More than 5  More than 10  More than 15  More than 20  More than 25  More than 30  More than 35  More than 40 
			 Senior Managers 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 5 
			 Managers 3 6 6 9 3 1 4 30 
			 Principal Officer 4 4 3 5 2 2 2 18 
			 Senior Officer 15 21 9 10 9 6 5 75 
			 Prison Officer 105 132 85 80 59 51 56 512 
			 Support Grades 43 48 33 25 25 16 19 168 
			 Healthcare 14 11 9 8 8 5 4 56 
			 Administration 35 37 27 16 16 8 11 112 
			 Industrials 19 8 15 4 8 4 6 50 
			 Specialists 2 6 2 2 0 0 0 15 
			 Unknown 11 10 8 1 1 4 0 29 
			 Total 252 284 197 161 131 97 108 1,070 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 4: Public sector Prison Service staff taking more than five days of sick leave for mental and behavioural problems by broad grade group—2006 
			   Working days lost due to mental and behavioural problems 
			  Grade at 31 December 2006  More than 5  More than 10  More than 15  More than 20  More than 25  More than 30  More than 35  More than 40 
			 Senior Managers 3 2 1 2 0 2 0 2 
			 Managers 10 10 8 4 7 2 3 40 
			 Principal Officer 4 1 2 2 3 4 3 18 
			 Senior Officer 17 14 16 16 10 5 9 69 
			 Prison Officer 125 113 74 94 65 65 46 500 
			 Support Grades 48 47 37 30 22 15 16 166 
			 Healthcare 11 12 8 7 4 7 3 51 
			 Administration 43 51 21 12 18 11 7 89 
			 Industrials 19 13 12 10 4 11 3 41 
			 Specialists 8 6 9 3 3 1 1 14 
			 Unknown 5 8 7 9 8 3 5 30 
			 Total 293 277 195 189 144 126 96 1,020 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 5: Public sector Prison Service staff taking more than five days of sick leave for mental and behavioural problems by broad grade group—2007 
			   Working days lost due to mental and behavioural problems 
			  Grade at 31 December 2007  More than 5  More than 10  More than 15  More than 20  More than 25  More than 30  More than 35  More than 40 
			 Senior Managers 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 6 
			 Managers 4 8 5 6 2 5 4 39 
			 Principal Officer 4 4 2 3 3 4 0 29 
			 Senior Officer 20 15 11 10 9 8 7 90 
			 Prison Officer 113 109 102 94 58 54 46 496 
			 Support Grades 62 41 39 26 26 19 15 172 
			 Healthcare 8 10 6 8 4 6 1 31 
			 Administration 35 29 36 29 16 18 16 120 
			 Industrials 24 12 11 15 7 6 3 46 
			 Specialists 2 5 5 2 3 2 4 22 
			 Unknown 11 13 10 4 2 1 3 33 
			 Total 286 246 227 197 131 123 99 1,084

Departmental Sustainable Development

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether his Department is on course to meet the Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate targets  (a) to source at least 10 per cent. of its electricity from renewables by 31 March 2008 and  (b) to increase recycling figures to 40 per cent. of waste by 2010.

Maria Eagle: The Ministry of Justice has met its target of sourcing at least 10 per cent. of its electricity from renewables by 31 March 2008.
	A waste management strategy is currently being implemented across the estate that will enable the Ministry to increase recycling figures to 40 per cent. of waste by 2010. Good progress has already been made with MoJ HQ estate increasing its recycling by approximately 39 per cent. between 2005-06 and 2006-07.

Departmental Sustainable Development

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether his Department is working towards an accredited certified environmental management system  (a) for its whole estate and  (b) in some of its buildings.

Maria Eagle: The Ministry of Justice is working towards implementing environmental management systems across its estate. We are in the process of implementing an EMS for ISO 14001 accreditation in the Tribunals Service, MoJ Headquarters estate and the Royal Courts of Justice. In addition, a bespoke environmental management system is being implemented across the Prison Service estate. We will be looking to extend these systems across the rest of the estate in due course, and as set out in the Ministry's Sustainable Development Action Plan.

Prisoners: Databases

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the number of people detained in prison who are not recorded on the detentions database; and what information is held by his Department on non-UK nationals released from prison without notification to the Home Office, as referred to by the National Audit Office report on asylum and migration (HC(2003-04)625) of 25 May 2004.

Liam Byrne: I have been asked to reply.
	The section of the National Audit Office report on Asylum and Migration statistics published on 25 May 2004 to which is referred relates to the accuracy of statistics held by IND (now known as the UK Border Agency) governing the number of individuals held in detention for immigration reasons.
	Since the report was published, the DELMIS system, to which it referred, has been superseded by a different system known as the case information database (CID). This is designed for use within all areas of the Agency as opposed to just the detention service directorate. It is through CID that the Agency is able to ensure that it keeps accurate records on all individuals' immigration cases as well as ensuring that caseworkers are aware of where an individual resided or whether they were detained.
	The chief executive of the UK Border Agency has written to the Home Affairs Committee on several occasions over the past 18 months and explained that we have reviewed and strengthened our processes in identifying those foreign nationals serving custodial sentences who should be considered for deportation following the events of April 2006.

Prisoners: Health Services

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many in-patient beds in prisons were occupied by prisoners for non-medical reasons in each month of each of the last five years for which figures are available; and what the reasons were in each case.

Maria Eagle: This information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	In-patient beds can only be used for non-medical reasons where they are included in the prison's CNA; however, even where this is the case, the practice is avoided wherever possible.
	The decision whether to include in-patient beds in an establishment's Certified Normal Accommodation (CNA) is taken by the relevant Area Manager as part of the local cell certification process. As a general rule, in-patient beds are included in the CNA in local prisons but excluded in training prisons. This reflects the extent to which newly received prisoners require medical care.

Prisons: Cells

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners were  (a) doubling up in cells designed for one and  (b) trebling up in cells designed for two in each prison in England and Wales at the end of March 2008.

Maria Eagle: Figures for the end of March 2008 are not available at present. The following table shows the provisional number of prisoners reported as being doubled in cells certified to hold one person and trebled in cells certified to hold two persons at the end of February 2008.
	
		
			  Prison  Number of prisoners doubling up in cells designed for one  Number of prisoners trebling up in cells designed for two 
			 Altcourse 856 139 
			 Ashwell 12 — 
			 Bedford 302 6 
			 Belmarsh — 393 
			 Birmingham 658 — 
			 Blakenhurst 490 — 
			 Blundeston 36 — 
			 Brinsford 22 — 
			 Bristol 150 — 
			 Brixton 234 — 
			 Buckley Hall 58 — 
			 Bullingdon 400 — 
			 Camp Hill 128 — 
			 Canterbury 190 — 
			 Cardiff 510 — 
			 Channings Wood 32 — 
			 Chelmsford 292 — 
			 Coldingley 46 — 
			 Dartmoor 44 — 
			 Doncaster 708 27 
			 Dorchester 164 — 
			 Dovegate 66 — 
			 Durham 678 — 
			 Eastwood Park 48 — 
			 Elmley 184 318 
			 Everthorpe 140 — 
			 Exeter 352 — 
			 Featherstone 20 — 
			 Forest Bank 656 — 
			 Garth 12 — 
			 Glen Parva 324 — 
			 Gloucester 160 — 
			 Guys Marsh 92 — 
			 Haverigg 10 — 
			 High Down — 297 
			 Highpoint 42 — 
			 Holme House 286 — 
			 Hull 550 — 
			 Kennet 312 — 
			 Lancaster 114 — 
			 Lancaster Farms 58 — 
			 Leeds 736 — 
			 Leicester 292 — 
			 Lewes 152 — 
			 Lincoln 574 — 
			 Lindholme 120 — 
			 Littlehey 86 — 
			 Liverpool 440 — 
			 Low Newton 54 — 
			 Lowdham Grange 88 — 
			 Maidstone 56 — 
			 Manchester 596 — 
			 Moorland 64 — 
			 Mount 28 — 
			 New Hall 68 — 
			 Northallerton 184 — 
			 Norwich 182 6 
			 Nottingham 332 — 
			 Parc 346 — 
			 Parkhurst 70 — 
			 Pentonville 796 — 
			 Preston 680 — 
			 Ranby 236 — 
			 Reading 148 — 
			 Risley 92 — 
			 Shepton Mallet 48 — 
			 Shrewsbury 308 — 
			 Stocken 54 — 
			 Stoke Heath 196 — 
			 Styal 18 — 
			 Swaleside 28 — 
			 Swansea 350 15 
			 Swinfen Hall 34 — 
			 Usk\Prescoed 208 6 
			 Verne 68 — 
			 Wandsworth 1084 — 
			 Wayland 90 — 
			 Wealstun 34 — 
			 Wellingborough 8 — 
			 Whatton 60 — 
			 Winchester 330 — 
			 Wolds 88 — 
			 Woodhill 306 — 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 124 — 
			 Wymott 90 —

Prisons: Employment

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to ensure the reliability of figures on prisoners' hours of purposeful activity provided by prisons.

Maria Eagle: In 2007-08 the Prison Service issued new guidance for its establishments for recording purposeful activity. This guidance included a refined set of activities and definitions. Additionally, a more effective method of capturing purposeful activity data has been introduced through the use of electronic forms. The data reported also continue to be validated by management controls and by both a self-audit process and independent audit.

Prisons: Employment

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average number of hours of purposeful activity per week for each  (a) male and  (b) female prisoner over the age of retirement was in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: The Prison Service does not centrally collate purposeful activity data at prisoner level and cannot therefore express the answer in the precise format requested.
	The following table shows the average number of hours of purposeful activity per week in prisons which predominately hold male prisoners and prisons which predominately hold female prisoners in each of the last five full financial years.
	
		
			  Average number of hours of purposeful activity per week 
			  Financial year  Male prisons  Female prisons 
			 2002-03 22.5 25.0 
			 2003-04 23.3 25.3 
			 2004-05 24.2 26.7 
			 2005-06 25.1 27.3 
			 2006-07 25.1 27.6

Prisons: Video Equipment

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the merits of using the video-link equipment available in prisons to record interviews between police and imprisoned witnesses.

Maria Eagle: No assessment has been made within the Ministry of Justice on the benefits of using video-link equipment to record interviews between the police and imprisoned witnesses. Police forces consider the use of video links for this purpose on an individual case basis.

Prisons: Wrexham

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 3 April 2008,  Official Report, columns 1188-9W, on prisons: Wales, on how many occasions representatives of NOMS custodial estates have met representatives of Wrexham county borough council to discuss the siting of a prison in Wrexham in the last 12 months.

Maria Eagle: There have been no meetings between representatives of NOMS estates and Wrexham county borough council to discuss the siting of a prison in Wrexham in the last 12 months. Representatives from NOMS estates attended meetings in August and November 2007 with the North Wales Criminal Justice Board to discuss potential sites for a prison in North Wales. These meetings included representatives from Wrexham county borough council and other councils in North Wales. In November 2007 a visit to a site put forward by the Board was also made at which a representative of the council was present. This site was not in Wrexham.

Weare Prison

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the mooring fees were for HMP Weare prison ship in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Hanson: Following the publication of the Lord Carter Report a search is under way for a prison floating facility involving the need to make inquiries of port authorities to identify suitable berths which includes consideration of mooring fees. In these circumstances for reasons of "commercial confidentiality", I do not at this particular time intend to publish the previous fees paid to the Portland port authority.

Weare Prison

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice from which heading of his Department's budget the mooring fees for HMP Weare prison ship are paid.

Maria Eagle: Weare prison opened in 1997 and closed in 2005. During this period the mooring fees formed part of the running costs of the ship which came from the programme element of the resource funding voted to the Prison Service. From 2005 until the facility's eventual sale in July 2006 the mooring fees were paid for by the National Offender Management Service.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

BBC External Services: Manpower

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the headcount of the BBC World Service and the Russian language service was in each of the last five years.

Jim Murphy: The information is as follows.
	Headcount (equivalent full-time) for the BBC World Service in each of the last five years:
	
		
			  Financial years  UK  Overseas  Year end total 
			 2003-04 1,363 358 1,721 
			 2004-05 1,420 457 1,877 
			 2005-06 1,368 491 1,859 
			 2006-07 1,255 456 1,711 
			 2007-08 1,395 490 1,885 
		
	
	Headcount (equivalent full-time) for the BBC Russian Service in each of the last five years:
	
		
			  Financial years  UK  Locally engaged  Year end total 
			 2003-04 55 41 96 
			 2004-05 51 44 95 
			 2005-06 57 40 97 
			 2006-07 62 41 103 
			 2007-08 63 47 110

Cameroon: Overseas Aid

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for International Development on aid to Cameroon.

Meg Munn: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not held recent discussions on aid to Cameroon with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development. Government officials, however, are in regular contact on such issues.
	The majority of the UK's bilateral aid to Cameroon is focused on the forestry sector, as many of the poorest Cameroonians depend on the forests for food and shelter, as well as employment. The Department for International Development is contributing roughly £11,000,000 to Cameroon's Forest and Environment Sector Programme. An additional £50,000,000 will be available under the Congo Basin Forest Fund, with Cameroon one of the countries eligible for project bids.

Cameroon: Politics and Government

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Cameroonian President on presidential term limits.

Meg Munn: The Government supported an EU public statement on 27 March 2008, which noted that any changes to the constitution must be decided by the people and institutions of Cameroon. The statement emphasised the importance of a broad, free and open debate, involving all elements of Cameroonian society, on the proposals for constitutional revision. The statement also said
	"...the European Union remains convinced that the possibility of a changeover of power, the freedom of the press and the guaranteeing of public freedoms are fundamental to the consolidation of democracy, and draws attention to the urgent need to improve the electoral system and the standard of voter turnout, these being guarantors of the stability that the country needs."
	The amendment to the Cameroonian constitution to remove presidential term limits was passed in the Cameroonian National Assembly on 10 April. We will continue to work with EU partners to encourage greater political dialogue in Cameroon.

Commonwealth Scholarship Commission: Finance

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which organisations were consulted by his Department prior to decisions to  (a) terminate support for the Commonwealth Scholarship Scheme and  (b) reduce funding for the Chevening Scholarship Scheme.

Jim Murphy: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) had broad consultations with a range of stakeholders during the 2006 review of FCO Scholarships, including the Association of Commonwealth Universities, the British Council, overseas posts and alumni. This fed into decisions to end our support for the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan and to reduce our funding for the Chevening Scholarship Scheme. Officials maintain regular contact with those stakeholders.

Commonwealth: Scholarships

Greg Pope: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements he has made to continue opportunities for collaboration between Commonwealth countries in hosting students following the termination of funding for Commonwealth Scholarships in the UK.

Jim Murphy: The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK, together with agencies in each participating Commonwealth state, will continue their work to facilitate hosting of Commonwealth scholarship students in different Commonwealth countries. The Government are withdrawing funding for Commonwealth scholarships only for developed Commonwealth countries, most of which are eligible for Chevening scholarships. Overall Government funding for Commonwealth scholarships will be higher in each of the next three years than it has been in 2007-08.

Ethiopia: Human Rights

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to his counterparts in the Government of Ethiopia on security and observance of human rights in the Somali region of Ethiopia.

Meg Munn: The Government are concerned at reports of human rights abuses in the Somali region of Ethiopia and raise the issue with the Government of Ethiopia at every suitable opportunity. Recently, my noble Friend Lord Malloch-Brown raised the issue of human rights in the Somali region when he met Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi in late January. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed the Somali region with the Ethiopian Foreign Minister, Seyoum Mesfin, when they met in November 2007. Our ambassador in Addis Ababa continues to raise these issues with the Government of Ethiopia at regular intervals.

Ethiopia: Human Rights

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the extent of observance of human rights in the Somali region of Ethiopia.

Meg Munn: We are concerned at reports of human rights abuses in the Somali region of Ethiopia. If breaches of human rights law are proved, then we will condemn them unreservedly and expect those responsible to be held to account. The UK supports the UN's lead in working with the Government of Ethiopia to improve the situation in the Somali region, including to help ensure human rights are respected fully. We recognise Ethiopia's legitimate security concerns in the region and call on Ethiopia to ensure its security response is proportionate and implemented carefully to ensure there is no suffering in the civilian population.
	The Government raise their concerns with the Ethiopian Government at regular opportunities. Most recently, our ambassador in Addis Ababa discussed ways to improve the situation in the Somali region with the Ethiopian Foreign Minister, Seyoum Mesfin, in March. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed the Somali region with the Ethiopian Foreign Minister when they met in November 2007. My noble Friend Lord Malloch-Brown raised the issue of human rights when he met Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi in late January.

Indonesia: Human Rights

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of the treatment by the Government of Indonesia of  (a) West Papuan protesters and  (b) those raising flags of independence in Timika and Manokwari.

Meg Munn: Following events in Kwamki Baru, near Timika, on 1 December 2007, we understand that six people have been charged with subversion under the Indonesian criminal code. In March 2008 nine individuals were arrested in Manokwari and four in Jayapura following student protests where the 'Morning Star' flag was displayed. Flying the Papuan national 'Morning Star' flag is currently illegal under Indonesian law. Special autonomy legislation allows for the use of Papuan symbols and anthems, but the local legislation that is required to confirm the chosen symbols and anthems has yet to be passed.
	Officials from our embassy in Jakarta continue to monitor the situation closely and understand that representatives from Church organisations have been allowed access to those detained.
	Dr. Manfred Nowak, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, visited Indonesia in November 2007, at the invitation of the Indonesian Government. Dr. Nowak presented his report to the UN Human Rights Council on 10 March. As part of his wider report on Indonesia, Dr. Nowak made references to prison conditions in Papua. We are continuing to study Dr. Nowak's report and are consulting with EU partners on how we might engage with the Indonesian Government on its findings.

Iraq: Oil

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the probity of the procedures for the passage of the oil and gas law in Iraq.

Kim Howells: The draft hydrocarbons law is under discussion by the Government of Iraq and the Iraqi Parliament, in accordance with Iraq's legislative processes. It is for the Iraqi Government and Parliament to decide how best to manage Iraq's oil and gas sectors.
	The draft hydrocarbons law is a result of negotiations between representatives of all of Iraq's main political parties. One of the drafting committee's members, Dr. Ashti Hawrami, Minister for Natural Resources in the Kurdistan Regional Government, was explicit on this point:
	"no one has told us Iraqis what to put in the law. Iraqis alone have been deciding it. The only pressure put on us has been to move it forward and complete it".
	The UK has an interest in promoting the effective management of this sector because of its importance to Iraq's reconciliation process and future prosperity, and has encouraged a balanced, technically unambiguous piece of legislation, acceptable to Iraq's main political parties.

Kosovo: Politics and Government

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the criteria are under the UN Charter under which the Government recognised the independence of Kosovo.

Jim Murphy: There are no criteria on recognition of states in the UN Charter. Recognition is a decision for individual states to make. UN Security Council Resolution 1244 provided for a political process to determine Kosovo's final status. The outcome of that process was the UN Special Envoy's Comprehensive Proposal which recommended that Kosovo should be independent, supervised by the international community.

Kosovo: Politics and Government

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many members of the United Nations have not recognised the independence of Kosovo.

Jim Murphy: Of the 192 UN member states, many have yet to take a formal decision. We are aware of 18 who have publicly stated that they have decided not to recognise Kosovo. 38 UN member states, including 20 EU member states, have recognised Kosovo or signalled their intention to do so.

Kosovo: Politics and Government

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response he plans to make to the proposal tabled at the United Nations by the Government of Serbia that the part of Kosovo which has a Serb majority should be transferred to Serbia.

Jim Murphy: No such proposal from the Serbian Government has been tabled at the UN. A proposal was handed to a senior representative of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo by the Serbian Minister for Kosovo. Other members of the Serbian Government have publicly distanced themselves from the proposal.
	We do not believe that partition of Kosovo would be a sustainable solution or contribute to regional stability. Partition has been ruled out by the Contact Group and the EU. Both Belgrade and Pristina rejected this option during the status negotiations.

Malta: Health Services

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 25 March 2008,  Official Report, column 140W, on Malta: health services, if he will place in the Library a copy of the speech given by UK officials defending the language on sexual and reproductive rights; whether the term sexual and reproductive rights includes abortion and a right to abortion; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: During the Commission on the Status of Women in February and March 2008, the UK aligned itself with the EU speech which did refer to sexual and reproductive health rights. A copy will be placed in the Library of the House.
	UK officials did not give a national speech but spoke during informal negotiations at the Commission on the Status of Women to defend language already agreed by the EU on sexual and reproductive health and rights.
	The position of the Government is consistent with international agreements such as the 1994 Cairo International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and Beijing where there was agreement among delegations that the prevention of unwanted pregnancies should be given priority through expanded family planning services. ICPD also affirmed that in no case should abortion be promoted as a method of family planning. These agreements also recognise the health impact of abortion complications—unsafe abortion is a major cause of maternal death and injury—and agree that, where permitted by national law, abortion should be safe and that in all cases women should have access to quality services for the management of complications following abortion.
	The Government consider that sexual and reproductive rights are key to improving the status of women and advancing their human rights globally and therefore should not be seen solely in the context of abortion.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions  (a) he,  (b) Ministers in his Department and  (c) his officials have had with the President of the Palestinian Authority on future armed conflict against Israel; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: We have not raised the matter with Palestinian President Abbas, but we welcome his statement distancing himself from this alleged comment, quoted in a Jordanian newspaper. It is essential that all Palestinians and Israelis recognise that their goals of mutual recognition, peace and security can only be achieved through peaceful negotiation. The Annapolis process is a crucial window of opportunity and the UK will continue to support both sides and encourage them to make the necessary concessions.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether  (a) the UK and  (b) other countries through the UN (i) have organised and (ii) plan to organise medical aid to assist Israeli casualties following rocket attacks from (A) Gaza and (B) the Lebanon; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: We are deeply concerned about the recent escalation of violence in Gaza and Southern Israel. The UK and the UN have no plans to organise medical aid to assist Israeli casualties following rocket attacks in Gaza and Lebanon. Israel has an effective medical aid system in place.

Syria: Foreign Relations

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent contact the Government has had with the Government of Syria; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The UK has full diplomatic relations with Syria. Officials from our embassy in Damascus maintain regular contact with the Syrian Government.
	UK Ministers have occasional contact with Syrian Ministers when we judge that such meetings would advance the UK's interests. On 8 November 2007 my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and I met the Syrian Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Dardari and Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Miqdad at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London. On 28 September 2007 my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary met Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem at the UN in New York.
	We continue to call on the Syrian Government to play a constructive role in the Middle East: to cease its support for Palestinian rejectionist groups; support the Government of Iraq; and work to support the election of a consensus President in Lebanon.

HEALTH

Breast Cancer: Screening

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the rate for breast cancer re-screening within 36 months was in  (a) England,  (b) West Yorkshire and  (c) the Leeds/Wakefield screening area in each of the last six months; and what proportion of eligible women in the Leeds/Wakefield breast screening area received scans within 36 months in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: Data on the 36 month interval for breast cancer screening are collected quarterly by the national health service cancer screening programmes. Data for England and each breast screening unit are shown in the following table. Monthly interval rates of 38 months are also given as an indicator of how close intervals are to the national standard of 36 months.
	
		
			  Breast screening unit  Percentage 36 month breast cancer screening interval rate  interval rate — October to December 2007  Percentage 38 month breast cancer screening interval rate  interval rate — October to December 2007 
			 England 70 88 
			 Bolton 80 99 
			 Chester 90 99 
			 Crewe 97 99 
			 East Lancashire 28 99 
			 Greater Manchester 29 61 
			 Liverpool 62 99 
			 Macclesfield 79 99 
			 North Cumbria 86 100 
			 North Lancashire 8 11 
			 Warrington 96 99 
			 Wigan 40 99 
			 Wirral 99 99 
			 North Tees 73 90 
			 Newcastle 90 96 
			 Gateshead 74 99 
			 Pennine 37 97 
			 North Yorkshire 96 99 
			 Leeds Wakefield 38 66 
			 Humberside 34 43 
			 Sheffield 77 97 
			 Doncaster 97 99 
			 Barnsley 100 100 
			 Rotherham 96 100 
			 North London 17 26 
			 West of London 96 97 
			 Barking and Havering 95 97 
			 Central and East London 55 76 
			 South East London 76 99 
			 South West London 80 96 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire 63 95 
			 Chelmsford and Colchester 96 98 
			 Cambridge and Huntingdon 61 98 
			 Epping 2 2 
			 East Suffolk 97 99 
			 James Paget 62 94 
			 King's Lynn 39 84 
			 Norfolk and Norwich 63 97 
			 Peterborough 67 97 
			 South Essex 57 86 
			 West Suffolk 95 98 
			 City Hospital (Birmingham) 96 97 
			 Dudley and Wolverhampton 98 99 
			 Hereford and Worcester 94 98 
			 North Staffordshire 96 99 
			 Shropshire 57 93 
			 South Birmingham 99 99 
			 South Staffordshire 97 97 
			 Walsall and Sandwell 99 100 
			 Warwickshire, Solihull and Coventry 99 100 
			 Avon 80 98 
			 Cornwall 98 99 
			 Dorset 97 98 
			 East Devon 96 98 
			 Gloucestershire 97 99 
			 Somerset 84 99 
			 South Devon 90 98 
			 West Devon 99 99 
			 Wiltshire 95 99 
			 Northampton 93 99 
			 South Derbyshire 93 99 
			 North Derbyshire 98 98 
			 North Nottinghamshire 99 99 
			 Kettering 98 99 
			 Leicester 94 96 
			 Lincolnshire 28 41 
			 Nottingham 98 99 
			 Jarvis Centre (Guildford) 98 99 
			 West Sussex 61 95 
			 Brighton 16 61 
			 Canterbury 92 98 
			 Maidstone 41 98 
			 Medway 70 99 
			 Aylesbury 100 100 
			 Wycombe 100 100 
			 Milton Keynes 98 99 
			 Reading 98 99 
			 Windsor 100 100 
			 Oxford 45 99 
			 North and Mid Hampshire 44 96 
			 Southampton and Salisbury 21 84 
			 Portsmouth 99 99 
			 Isle of Wight 97 98 
		
	
	Information on breast screening coverage in the Yorkshire and Humber Strategic Health Authority (SNA) area is shown in the following table. Coverage is the proportion of women resident and eligible that have had a test with a recorded result at least once in the previous three years.
	
		
			  Breast screening programme: coverage of women aged 53-64 by specified organisations, at 31 March 2007 
			Eligible population( 1)  Number of women screened (less than three years since last test)  Coverage (less than three years since last test)  (percentage) 
			  England 3,690,074 2,805,717 76.0 
			  
			 Q32 Yorkshire and the Humber SHA 373,320 282,165 75.6 
			   O f which:
			 5NY Bradford and Airedale Teaching PCT 30,921 23,481 75.9 
			 5J6 Calderdale PCT 14,873 11,059 74.4 
			 5N2 Kirklees PCT 27,772 21,795 78.5 
			 5N1 Leeds PCT 48,063 34,507 71.8 
			 5N3 Wakefield District PCT 25,500 17,218 67.5 
			  Notes: 1. This is the number of women in the registered population less those recorded as ineligible. 2. The coverage of the breast screening programme is the proportion of women resident and eligible that have had a test with a recorded result at least once in the previous three years. 3. Coverage of the screening programme is currently best assessed using the 53-64 age group as women may be first called at any time between their 50th and 53rd birthdays. 4. The breast screening programme covers women aged 50-64 but it was extended to invite women aged 65-70 in April 2001. The last unit began inviting women aged 65-70 in April 2006 and full coverage should be achieved by 2008-09.  Source:  KC63

Cardiovascular System: Screening

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people aged between 40 and 74 years of age received a vascular risk assessment in 2007.

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people aged between 40 and 74 years have access to vascular risk assessments.

Ann Keen: There is no standardised format for a vascular risk assessment currently in use within the primary care system. However, we do know that many of the elements of the vascular check proposed in "Putting Prevention First" are offered to patients. Copies of this publication are available in the Library. These are not recorded under the heading of vascular risk assessment, but it is possible to make some estimates on the basis of samples of primary care data sets. For example, using a sample of 1.14 million general practice records for adults aged 40 to 74 provided by Q Research, relating to 2007, we can estimate numbers in that age group in England who have records of the four measures we are proposing should form part of a vascular risk assessment. These measures are cholesterol, smoking status, body mass index and blood pressure.
	We estimate that in the five years between 2002 and 2007 an average of 620,000 adults per annum will have undergone all four measures. This excludes people who already have one or more vascular diseases because they would not be eligible for primary prevention, which is what the vascular risk assessments are intended for. In addition, from the same data we estimate that 1.2 million people are being prescribed statins for primary prevention of disease and we can assume that each of these is likely to have undergone at least some of the elements of the proposed vascular risk assessment when the initial decision to prescribe statins was made.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he has recently issued on the diagnosing of myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Ann Keen: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has published, in August 2007, a clinical guideline on the diagnosis and management of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Commission for Social Care Inspection: Pensions

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the cash equivalent transfer value is of the public sector pension of the Chief Inspector of the Commission for Social Care Inspection;
	(2)  what pensions scheme is offered to staff joining the Commission for Social Care Inspection; what the rate of employer contributions to the scheme is; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the terms and benefits of the scheme.

Ivan Lewis: We have been informed by the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) that the cash equivalent transfer value of the public sector pension of the Chief Inspector of CSCI equals £925,134.39p as at 31 March 2008.
	We have also been informed by CSCI that the pensions scheme offered to staff joining CSCI is the Teesside Local Government Pension Scheme. For 2008-09, the employer contribution rate is 13.7 per cent. The scheme applies to the great majority of existing CSCI staff and to all new starters who opt for pension fund membership. In addition, when CSCI was created, it inherited some employees who were members of various other pension schemes. The employer contribution rate of these schemes ranges from 6.2 per cent. to 33 per cent.
	The details of the terms and benefits of the scheme have been placed in the Library.

Continuing Care: Essex

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps the Government have taken to ensure that those in the Mid Essex Primary Care Trust area entitled to continuing NHS healthcare are receiving it;
	(2)  what steps he has taken in the Mid Essex Primary Care Trust area to ensure that Government guidelines on the equitable entitlement to continuing NHS healthcare achieve their objectives.

Ivan Lewis: The "National Framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS-funded Nursing Care in England", implemented from 1 October 2007, sets out the process for determining eligibility for national health service continuing healthcare. To minimise variation in interpretation of the principles outlined in the Framework and to inform consistent decision-making, the Department has developed the national decision support tool in conjunction with stakeholders. The decision support tool supports practitioners in obtaining a full picture of needs and indicates a level of need that could constitute a primary health need as set out in the Framework. The decision support tool, combined with practitioners' own experience and professional judgment, will enable them to apply the primary health need test in practice, in a way that is consistent with the limits on what can be lawfully provided by local authorities. It is too soon to gauge the Framework's impact. We will review the Framework and the decision support tool in September 2008.
	We have been informed that Mid Essex Primary Care Trust is committed to the principles of continuing healthcare and to working with its partners to provide funding and support to any individual who meets the national criteria.

Dental Services: Fees and Charges

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average cost  (a) per patient and  (b) per visit for emergency dental treatment at a dental access centre in Milton Keynes has been since their inception.

Ann Keen: The information requested is not collected centrally. Primary care trusts (PCTs) set funding and service requirements for individual dental access centres, locally. The hon. Member may therefore wish to raise this with the chief executive of Milton Keynes PCT.

Departmental Legislation

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what criminal offences have been abolished by primary legislation sponsored by his Department since May 1997;
	(2)  what criminal offences have been created by primary legislation sponsored by his Department since July 2007.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested on what criminal offences have been abolished by primary legislation since May 1997 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	No new criminal offences have been created by primary legislation since July 2007. However, Regulations 27 and 185 of the European Qualifications (Health and Social Care Professions) Regulations 2007 (S.I. 2007/3101), which amended the Medical Act 1983 and the Opticians Act 1983 respectively, expand the scope of existing offences in primary legislation. The Mental Health Act 2007, which was given Royal Assent on 19 July 2007 increases the maximum penalty for ill-treatment or wilful neglect (s.42).

Developing Patient Partnerships Programme: Finance

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reason his Department decided to cease funding for the Developing Patient Partnerships programme; and what arrangements have been made for the continuity of the provision of its services to patients.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department has supported Developing Patient Partnerships through two section 64 specific grants since April 2003. The latest grant covering 2006-08 was agreed with Developing Patient Partnerships on the basis they would no longer require central funding as they would be self-sufficient from April 2008 through increasing their subscriber base. Developing Patient Partnerships are currently in discussions with several organisations to make their material available to patients in the future.

Eyesight: Testing

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of people aged 60 and over had an NHS sight test in the last year for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: The number of general ophthalmic services (GOS) sight tests paid for by the national health service, for persons aged 60 and over, in England, in the year ending 31 March 2007 was 4,518,672. Based on Office for National Statistics population estimates for mid- 2006 the sight tests number is 41.9 per cent. of the population aged over 60.
	This information is available in Table B4 of the "General Ophthalmic Services: Activity Statistics for England and Wales, Year Ending 31 March 2007" report. This table also includes the number of tests for persons aged 60 and over as a proportion of the total number of sight tests.
	This report, published by The Information Centre for health and social care on 31 July 2007, is available in the Library and is also available on-line at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/gosactivity310307
	Numbers of GOS sight tests paid for by the NHS, for persons aged 60 and over and as a proportion of the 60 and over population for the year ending 31 March 2008 are due to be published in the "General Ophthalmic Services: Activity Statistics for England and Wales—Year Ending 31 March 2008" report. This report is due to be published, by The Information Centre for health and social care, in July 2008. This report will also include the number of sight tests for persons aged 60 and over as a proportion of the total number of sight tests.

Forced Marriage

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what monitoring and evaluation his Department carries out on the implementation of its guidance on forced marriages; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department does not monitor the FCO-led guidance on recognising forced marriages. It is for NHS trusts and primary care trusts to monitor the performance of their own staff in recognising domestic violence, including cases of forced marriage.

Health Professions: Training

Jim Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures are under consideration by his Department to ensure that strategic health authorities meet their service level agreement commitments regarding multi-professional education and training.

Ann Keen: In 2007-08 a service level agreement (SLA) and accountability framework has been issued to ensure that strategic health authorities (SHAs) are held to account for the training they support. The SLA also sets out that there should be a learning and development agreement in place with service providers to underpin the education and training funds passed to national health service trusts. The role of the Department should be to focus on outputs and accountability rather than on ensuring a fixed amount of money is spent for a particular purpose regardless of local priorities. Strategic health authorities (SHAs) provide relevant financial and activity data four times per year to the Department. SHAs also published an annual investment plan by 30 June 2007 setting out their planned investment in education and training for the year. We will be asking SHAs for an end of year report on the SLA shortly. They also provide relevant financial and activity data up to four times per year to the Department.

Health Services: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many bids he has received for designation as an Academic Health Services Centre; and what criteria will apply to determining the outcome of such bids.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 2 April 2008
	The Department is currently in the process of developing proposals for the roll-out of Academic Health and Science Centres.

Medical Records: Disclosure of Information

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether his Department has published guidance on the duty of foundation trusts to release medical records to the next of kin of a patient who has died in their care;
	(2)  whether his Department has powers to require foundation trusts to release medical records to the next of kin of a patient who has died in their care.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 21 April 2008
	Access to deceased patients' health records is permitted under the Access to Health Records Act 1990 (AHR) though this does not automatically provide a right of access for next of kin. Applications for access under the AHR may be made by the deceased's personal representative and any person who may have a claim arising from the patient's death. This may be the next of kin in some cases.
	The Department has provided the national health service with guidance on access to the records of deceased but is currently reviewing this guidance in light of recent legal cases. Essentially, the decision whether or not to disclose records of the deceased is the responsibility of the organisations holding the record, taking into account obligations of confidentiality and any directions provided by the deceased individual.
	The Department does not have the authority to require foundation trusts to release health records of deceased patients, but foundation trusts must comply with the AHR in the same way as other NHS trusts.

NHS: Pay

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether changes to the unsocial hours payment were agreed in the 2004 agenda for change.

Ann Keen: The agenda for change agreement included an interim regime for unsocial hours that had some early implementer and some Whitley provisions. It included an agreement that the NHS Staff Council would work toward developing a new harmonised unsocial hours arrangement. These arrangements were agreed in February 2008, with an effective date of 1 April 2008.

NHS: Pay

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has informed NHS staff of the changes to unsocial hours payment.

Ann Keen: Responsibility for communication to individual members of staff rests with the employing organisation. However, changes to the unsocial hours arrangements were discussed, developed and agreed in partnership with the unions and NHS Employers represented on the NHS Staff Council. NHS Employers have written to employing organisations to ensure they are aware of the changes and have provided information on their website, which may be used by managers to support local briefing.

NHS: Pay

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what meetings he has had with  (a) Unison,  (b) the Royal College of Nursing and  (c) other representative bodies on the changes to the unsocial hours payment; and if he will place in the Library the minutes of those meetings.

Ann Keen: NHS Employers lead the negotiating machinery for changes to the terms and conditions for staff covered by the agenda for change terms and conditions. Any meetings to discuss unsocial hours with the 14 unions that represent these staff, including Unison and the Royal College of Nursing, were held by NHS Employers.

NHS: Pay

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent changes he has made to the unsocial hours payment; and if he will break down the percentage change by  (a) pay band and  (b) staff role.

Ann Keen: The old arrangements were related to Whitley staff groups and pay scales, and there is no easy read-across to agenda for change pay bands. The changes to the unsocial hours payments have an effective date from 1 April 2008, the impacts will vary but in headline terms:
	any time on Saturday (midnight to midnight) and any week day after 8 pm and before 6 am is time plus 50 per cent. for band 1, time plus 44 per cent. for band 2, time plus 37 per cent. for band 3 and time plus 30 per cent. for bands 4 to 9; and
	all time on Sundays and public holidays (midnight to midnight) is double time for band 1, time plus 88 per cent. for band 2, time plus 74 per cent. for band 3, time plus 60 per cent. for bands 4 to 9.
	It is not possible to identify what this means by role; payment depends on their band. However, it is important to note that all staff employed in ambulance organisations will remain on the original prospective agenda for change system, as it has worked well in early implementers and for national roll-out.

NHS: Public Participation

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what quantitative public opinion research has been commissioned as part of the NHS next stage review.

Ann Keen: The national health service next stage review, 'Our NHS, our future', has commissioned two national public opinion surveys. These surveys are being used as a source of evidence to inform the findings of the review. The results of these surveys will be released in the summer.

NHS: Public Participation

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the formula is for funding local involvement networks; and what the  (a) unweighted funding per council and  (b) unweighted funding per 100 people is for each local authority in 2008-09.

Ann Keen: The Department received an allocation of £84 million over three years from HM Treasury to fund the establishment and costs incurred by local involvement networks (LINks). The allocations to local authorities (LAs) were based on two elements used in many similar cases to take account of key geographical factors such as deprivation, sparsity, area costs, etc. The first was a general baseline payment of £60,000 awarded to each LA. The second was calculated according to the relative needs formula (RNF), which is used to allocate funds to LAs in other areas of work.
	The RNF relates to three population groups: children, younger adults (aged 18-64) and older people (aged 65 and over). The RNF includes needs components and costs components that are specific to the three age groups. The children's formula consists of a basic amount per resident child aged 0 to 17, and top-ups for deprivation, fostering cost and area costs. The older people's formula consists of a basic amount per person aged 65 and over and top-ups for age, deprivation, sparsity, low income from fees and charges, and area costs. The younger adults' formula consists of a basic amount per person aged 18-64 and tops-ups for deprivation and area costs.
	The formula is therefore defined in terms of need and costs. There is not a weighting component that could be extracted from the calculations because the calculations use local values ('weights') for 'needs' and for 'costs', and removing them would make it impossible to calculate the funding allocations. Extracting weights from the calculation would have the effect of each local authority receiving an equal funding allocation.
	Using the allocations for LINks for 2008-09, we have been able to calculate the amount of local funding per 100 people (£) for 2008-09 and this is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  LA  Grant per 100 people (£) 
			 Cornwall 48.02 
			 Cumbria 46.75 
			 Gloucestershire 39.85 
			 Hertfordshire 34.11 
			 Lincolnshire 41.56 
			 Norfolk 41.08 
			 Northamptonshire 37.80 
			 Northumberland 53.23 
			 Oxfordshire 35.13 
			 Somerset 43.60 
			 Suffolk 39.89 
			 Surrey 30.67 
			 Warwickshire 40.62 
			 West Sussex 36.49 
			 North Yorkshire 37.46 
			 Bedfordshire 42.25 
			 Buckinghamshire 37.29 
			 Derbyshire 41.67 
			 Dorset 45.47 
			 Durham 51.08 
			 East Sussex 46.68 
			 Hampshire 29.89 
			 Leicestershire 34.52 
			 Staffordshire 36.58 
			 Wiltshire 40.39 
			 Cambridgeshire 37.11 
			 Cheshire 37.41 
			 Devon 40.23 
			 Essex 35.28 
			 Kent 35.57 
			 Lancashire 38.98 
			 Nottinghamshire 39.53 
			 Shropshire 51.74 
			 Worcestershire 40.13 
			 Isles of Scilly 2,856.58 
			 Barking and Dagenham 88.88 
			 Barnet 55.38 
			 Bexley 59.27 
			 Brent 68.26 
			 Bromley 50.46 
			 Croydon 55.82 
			 Ealing 59.84 
			 Enfield 62.80 
			 Haringey 76.30 
			 Harrow 64.44 
			 Havering 58.42 
			 Hillingdon 58.86 
			 Hounslow 64.82 
			 Kingston upon Thames 65.22 
			 Merton 62.28 
			 Newham 86.22 
			 Redbridge 61.81 
			 Richmond upon Thames 59.44 
			 Sutton 63.73 
			 Waltham Forest 73.75 
			 Camden 77.36 
			 Greenwich 84.34 
			 Hackney 99.50 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 83.68 
			 Islington 91.86 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 78.81 
			 Lambeth 76.17 
			 Lewisham 76.98 
			 Southwark 78.32 
			 Tower Hamlets 97.68 
			 Wandsworth 60.58 
			 Westminster 74.95 
			 City of London 817.07 
			 Bolton 63.09 
			 Bury 66.64 
			 Manchester 63.67 
			 Oldham 68.97 
			 Rochdale 70.99 
			 Salford 73.03 
			 Stockport 53.23 
			 Tameside 68.29 
			 Trafford 61.30 
			 Wigan 57.15 
			 Knowsley 92.51 
			 Liverpool 66.74 
			 St. Helens 74.40 
			 Sefton 61.94 
			 Wirral 64.27 
			 Barnsley 67.90 
			 Doncaster 59.27 
			 Rotherham 63.20 
			 Sheffield 50.11 
			 Gateshead 73.26 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 63.15 
			 North Tyneside 68.83 
			 South Tyneside 84.23 
			 Sunderland 62.66 
			 Birmingham 55.39 
			 Coventry 58.10 
			 Dudley 56.56 
			 Sandwell 70.42 
			 Solihull 58.55 
			 Walsall 66.60 
			 Wolverhampton 71.32 
			 Bradford 52.50 
			 Calderdale 65.43 
			 Kirklees 50.68 
			 Leeds 41.10 
			 Wakefield 56.74 
			 Isle of Wight Council 83.04 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 62.20 
			 Bristol 51.06 
			 South Gloucestershire 48.67 
			 North Somerset 60.31 
			 Hartlepool 108.96 
			 Middlesbrough 88.09 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 83.13 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 66.53 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 47.64 
			 Kingston upon Hull 67.42 
			 North East Lincolnshire 75.82 
			 North Lincolnshire 71.57 
			 York 56.46 
			 Luton 70.14 
			 Milton Keynes 57.59 
			 Derby 63.31 
			 Bournemouth 73.63 
			 Poole 74.95 
			 Darlington 96.69 
			 Brighton and Hove 58.87 
			 Portsmouth 63.62 
			 Southampton 61.78 
			 Leicester 64.06 
			 Rutland 179.13 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 67.90 
			 Swindon 60.26 
			 Bracknell Forest 76.80 
			 West Berkshire 63.82 
			 Reading 72.81 
			 Slough 86.64 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 66.86 
			 Wokingham 56.81 
			 Peterborough 74.87 
			 Halton 92.57 
			 Warrington 60.41 
			 Plymouth 60.98 
			 Torbay 89.69 
			 Southend-on-Sea 77.23 
			 Thurrock 74.86 
			 Herefordshire 66.64 
			 Medway 54.10 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 87.04 
			 Blackpool 88.25 
			 Nottingham 64.28 
			 Telford and the Wrekin 73.73

NHS: Reorganisation

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the evidential basis is for Lord Darzi's assessment in his interim report that the NHS is perhaps two-thirds of the way through its reform programme set out in 2000 and 2002.

Ann Keen: As stated on pages 14-15 of the NHS chief executive's annual report, published on 21 June 2007, there are three stages in the journey to reform the national health service. A copy of the report has been placed in the Library and is also available at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/AnnualReports/DH_076170
	The aim of the NHS Next Stage Review, "Our NHS, our future", is to identify the way forward for a 21st century NHS which is clinically-driven, patient-centred and responsive to local communities.

Nurses: Schools

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2008,  Official Report, column 2392W, on nurses: schools, 
	(1)  if he will break down the number of full-time equivalent fully-qualified school nurses by  (a) region,  (b) primary care trust and  (c) local authority;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the percentage of schools in England that are visited by a fully qualified school nurse;
	(3)  on nurses: schools, how many children were seen by a fully qualified school nurse in each year since 2004.

Ann Keen: No estimate has been made centrally of the percentage of schools in England that are visited by a fully-qualified school nurse or of the number of children who were seen by a fully-qualified school nurse in each year since 2004. It is for primary care trusts (PCTs) in partnership with local authorities (LAs), strategic health authorities (SHAs) and other local stakeholders to determine how best to use their funds to meet national and local priorities for improving health, and to commission services accordingly. This process provides the means for addressing local needs within the health community including the provision of school nursing services.
	The following table shows the number of full-time equivalent fully-qualified school nurses in England broken down by SHA and PCT.
	The information showing the breakdown by LA is not collected centrally.
	
		
			  National health service hospital and community health services: Qualified nursing staff in the school nursing area of work as at 30 September 2007 
			  Full-time equivalent 
			   Total qualified nursing staff  Of which:  Qualified school nurses( 1) 
			  England 2,232 893 
			
			  North East SHA area 127 42 
			 City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust 13 13 
			 County Durham PCT 26 21 
			 Darlington PCT 8 2 
			 Gateshead PCT 16 2 
			 Hartlepool PCT 6 — 
			 Middlesbrough PCT 19 — 
			 Newcastle PCT 1 1 
			 North Tees PCT 11 — 
			 Northumberland Care Trust 3 3 
			 Redcar and Cleveland PCT 13 — 
			 South Tyneside PCT 12 — 
			
			  North West SHA area 495 188 
			 Ashton, Leigh and Wigan PCT 21 5 
			 Blackburn with Darwen PCT 19 — 
			 Blackpool PCT 16 7 
			 Bolton PCT 27 26 
			 Bury PCT 16 16 
			 Central and Eastern Cheshire PCT 29 5 
			 Central Lancashire PCT 22 2 
			 Cumbria PCT 17 9 
			 East Lancashire PCT 38 5 
			 Halton and St. Helens PCT 35 13 
			 Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale PCT 16 13 
			 Knowsley PCT 20 1 
			 Liverpool PCT 13 — 
			 Manchester PCT 52 34 
			 North Lancashire PCT 17 6 
			 Oldham PCT 27 9 
			 Royal Liverpool Children's Hospital NHS Trust 13 — 
			 Sefton PCT 23 — 
			 Stockport PCT 10 3 
			 Tameside and Glossop PCT 18 18 
			 The Wirral Hospital NHS Trust 24 9 
			 Warrington PCT 13 10 
			 West Cheshire PCT 10 — 
			
			  Yorkshire and the Humber SHA area 268 130 
			 Barnsley PCT 15 15 
			 Bradford and Airedale Teaching PCT 21 17 
			 Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust 1 — 
			 Calderdale PCT 14 9 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire PCT 4 2 
			 Hull Teaching PCT 13 5 
			 Kirklees PCT 25 25 
			 Leeds PCT 47 33 
			 North East Lincolnshire PCT 12 — 
			 North Lincolnshire PCT 9 1 
			 North Yorkshire and York PCT 19 6 
			 Rotherham PCT 27 6 
			 Sheffield PCT 30 11 
			 Wakefield District PCT 21 — 
			 York Hospitals NHS Trust 8 — 
			
			  East Midlands SHA area 183 45 
			 Bassetlaw PCT 2 — 
			 Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 24 1 
			 Derby City PCT 22 15 
			 Derbyshire County PCT 14 1 
			 Leicester City Teaching PCT 14 2 
			 Leicestershire County and Rutland PCT 38 1 
			 Lincolnshire Teaching PCT 26 6 
			 Northamptonshire Teaching PCT 23 19 
			 Nottingham City PCT 5 — 
			 Nottinghamshire County Teaching PCT 8 1 
			 The United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust 6 — 
			
			  West Midlands SHA area 272 138 
			 Birmingham East and North PCT 15 14 
			 Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS trust 1 — 
			 Coventry Teaching PCT 12 — 
			 Dudley PCT 13 1 
			 Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT 22 — 
			 North Staffordshire PCT 15 10 
			 Sandwell PCT 18 1 
			 Shropshire County PCT 9 1 
			 Solihull Care Trust 10 — 
			 South Staffordshire Healthcare NHS Trust 6 1 
			 South Staffordshire PCT 36 36 
			 Stoke on Trent Teaching PCT 25 24 
			 Telford and Wrekin PCT 8 — 
			 Walsall Teaching PCT 17 4 
			 Warwickshire PCT 27 17 
			 Wolverhampton City PCT 17 17 
			 Worcestershire PCT 20 14 
			
			  East of England SHA area 162 51 
			 Bedfordshire PCT 22 4 
			 Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust 1 1 
			 Cambridgeshire PCT 9 5 
			 East and North Hertfordshire PCT 16 13 
			 James Paget Healthcare NHS Trust 4 1 
			 Luton PCT 13 5 
			 Mid Essex PCT 13 9 
			 Norfolk PCT 1 — 
			 North East Essex PCT 17 6 
			 Peterborough PCT 8 1 
			 South East Essex PCT 16 2 
			 South West Essex Teaching PCT 21 — 
			 West Essex PCT 1 0 
			 West Hertfordshire PCT 19 5 
			
			  London SHA area 327 132 
			 Barking and Dagenham PCT 10 2 
			 Barnet PCT 5 1 
			 Brent Teaching PCT 19 15 
			 Bromley PCT 1 — 
			 Camden PCT 6 1 
			 Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare NHS Trust 2 2 
			 City and Hackney PCT 16 9 
			 Croydon PCT 11 — 
			 Ealing PCT 13 2 
			 Enfield PCT 16 — 
			 Greenwich Teaching PCT 17 16 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT 7 7 
			 Haringey Teaching PCT 11 2 
			 Havering PCT 9 9 
			 Hillingdon PCT 13 4 
			 Hounslow PCT 8 — 
			 Islington PCT 19 4 
			 Kingston PCT 5 1 
			 Lambeth PCT 15 15 
			 Lewisham PCT 16 11 
			 Newham PCT 8 6 
			 North West London Hospitals NHS Trust 2 — 
			 Redbridge PCT 19 13 
			 Richmond and Twickenham PCT 13 2 
			 Southwark PCT 6 6 
			 Sutton and Merton PCT 17 — 
			 Tower Hamlets PCT 10 2 
			 Waltham Forest PCT 8 — 
			 Wandsworth PCT 15 4 
			 Westminster PCT 10 1 
			
			  South East Coast SHA area 136 61 
			 East Sussex Downs and Weald PCT 14 10 
			 Eastern and Coastal Kent Teaching PCT 12 11 
			 Hastings and Rother PCT 14 14 
			 Medway NHS Trust 10 — 
			 South Downs Health NHS Trust 18 — 
			 Surrey PCT 28 2 
			 West Kent PCT 13 2 
			 West Sussex Teaching PCT 27 22 
			
			  South Central SHA area 108 46 
			 Berkshire East Teaching PCT 14 10 
			 Berkshire West PCT 22 13 
			 Hampshire PCT 30 4 
			 Isle of Wight Healthcare PCT 5 — 
			 Milton Keynes PCT 4 4 
			 North Hampshire Hospitals NHS Trust 11 — 
			 Oxfordshire PCT 13 13 
			 Portsmouth City Teaching PCT 6 1 
			 Southampton City PCT 2 — 
			
			  South West SHA area 156 60 
			 Bath and North East Somerset PCT 1 — 
			 Bournemouth and Poole PCT 6 — 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly PCT 15 15 
			 Devon PCT 20 18 
			 Dorset PCT 9 6 
			 Gloucestershire PCT 20 1 
			 North Bristol NHS Trust 11 — 
			 North Somerset PCT 6 1 
			 Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust 1 — 
			 Plymouth Teaching PCT 11 — 
			 Somerset PCT 9 5 
			 Swindon PCT 10 3 
			 Torbay Care Trust 8 6 
			 United Bristol Healthcare NHS Trust 11 4 
			 Wiltshire PCT 17 2 
			 (1) Qualified school nurse: Qualified school nurses hold the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Specialist Practice Qualification with an outcome in school nursing—which is a recordable qualification on the NMC register. Figures are rounded to the nearest whole number.  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce census. 
		
	
	The 2007 census showed there were 2,232 qualified nurses in the school nursing area of work, an increase of 613 or 37.86 pr cent. since 2004. Of these there were 893 school nurses with a post registration school nurse qualification. This is an increase of 286 or 47.12 per cent. since 2004.

Nurses: Training

Jim Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will undertake to restore the underspend by strategic health authorities on multi-professional education and training, with particular reference to nurse training for each of the last five years for which there has been an underspend.

Ann Keen: The multi professional education and training budget forms part of the national health service bundle of budgets issued to strategic health authorities (SHAs) and as such is not ring fenced. It is up to the SHAs to determine how much they spend on education and training and whether underspends should be restored to the following year's budgets in the light of their own local priorities.

Nurses: Training

Jim Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to ensure that strategic health authorities spend their full budget allocation on nurse training.

Ann Keen: The Department is not taking any steps to ensure that strategic health authorities spend their full budget allocation on nurse training. The role of the Department should be to focus on outputs and accountability rather than on ensuring a fixed amount of money is spent for a particular purpose regardless of local priorities.

Nurses: Training

Jim Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the aggregated underspend on nurse training over the last five years.

Ann Keen: We do not allocate funding specifically to nurse training. We therefore cannot provide figures on the level of underspending for the last five years. However figures on the total underspend from the multi-professional education and training (MPET) budget are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   MPET underspend  (£ million) 
			 2003-04 58.7 
			 2004-05 86.3 
			 2005-06 135.7 
			 2006-07 357.0 
			 2007-08(1) 99.0 
			 (1) Forecast based on quarter three quarterly monitoring returns.

Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: Perinatal Mortality

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many instances of perinatal mortality there were in Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals Foundation NHS Trust in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The following table shows the number of perinatal deaths and the perinatal mortality rate for Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust(1) from 2001 to 2005, which are the latest data available.
	(1) The trust was founded in April 2004. The data are taken from the following hospitals that are now part of the trust: Peterborough district hospital; Edith Cavell hospital; Stamford and Rutland hospital; and the district maternity unit.
	
		
			   Perinatal deaths( 1)  Perinatal mortality rate( 2) 
			 2001 31 9.4 
			 2002 28 8.4 
			 2003 36 10.4 
			 2004 20 5.6 
			 2005 24 6.9 
			 (1) Stillbirths plus early neonatal deaths (deaths under seven days of age). (2) Stillbirths and early neonatal deaths per 1,000 live births and stillbirths.  Source: Office for National Statistics

HOME DEPARTMENT

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children were  (a) cautioned,  (b) prosecuted and  (c) given a penalty notice for disorder for buying or attempting to buy alcohol under age in each of the last three years for which information is available.

Vernon Coaker: The number of young persons under 18 years of age issued with a reprimand or final warning, penalty notice for disorder, or proceeded against at magistrates courts for offences relating to buying or attempting to buy alcohol under age in England and Wales for the years 2004 to 2006 can be viewed in the following tables 1 and 2. From June 2000, cautions for offenders under 18 years old were replaced by reprimands and final warnings.
	
		
			  N umber of young persons aged under 18 years issued with a reprimand/final warning, and proceeded against at magistrates courts for certain alcohol offences in England and Wales for the years 2004 to 2006( 1, 1, 3, 4, 5) 
			   Offence description 
			   Person under 18 buying or attempting to buy or consuming intoxicating liquor. Person under 18 buying or consuming intoxicating liquor  Purchase of alcohol by an individual under 18 
			   14316  14383 
			   Proceeded against  Reprimanded/Final warning( 3)  Proceeded against  Reprimanded/Final warning( 3) 
			 2004 10 32 — — 
			 2005 14 19 — 3 
			 2006 6 3 2 4 
			 - Nil (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Data include the following offence descriptions and corresponding statutes:  Offence Code 14316 Person under 18 buying or attempting to buy or consuming intoxicating liquor. Person under 18 buying or consuming intoxicating liquor in licensed premises. Licensing (Occasional Permissions) Act 1983 Schedule (Sec 3) para 4(2). Licensing Act 1964 Sec 169(2).  Offence Code 14382 Purchase of alcohol by an individual under 18. Licensing Act 2003 S. 149(l)(7a) (3) From 1 June 2000 the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and final warnings. Reprimands and final warnings are included in the above data. (4) The Licensing Act 2003 came into force on 24 November 2005. (5) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts, other agencies, and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Court proceedings data held by RDS—Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Ministry of Justice Our Ref: IOS 205-08 (Table 1) [Contribution for PQ 191306] 
		
	
	
		
			  N umber of young persons aged 16 to 17 years issued with a penalty notice for disorder for the offence—Buying or attempting to buy alcohol by person under 18 in England and Wales for the years 2004 to 2006( 1, 2, 3, 4) 
			   Buying or attempting to buy alcohol by person under 18 
			 2004 — 
			 2005 21 
			 2006 73 
			 - Nil (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Data include the following offence descriptions and corresponding statute: Buying or attempting to buy alcohol by a person under 18. Section 149(l)of the Licensing Act 2003 (c.17) (3) New legislative reference with effect from, 24 November 2005 on implementation of Licensing Act 2003. (4) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts, other agencies, and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Court proceedings data held by RDS—Office for Criminal Justice Reform Ministry of Justice Our Ref: IOS 205-08 (Table 2) [Contribution for PQ 191306]

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many instances there were of alcohol found in the possession of children being seized in accordance with section 1 of the Confiscation of Alcohol (Young Persons) Act 1997 in each of the last three years; and how many people were  (a) cautioned,  (b) prosecuted and  (c) given a penalty notice for disorder, having failed to comply with such a request in each of the last 10 years.

Vernon Coaker: Offences recorded under this legislation are summary offences and as such do not form part of the recorded crime statistics collected by the Home Office.
	The number of persons issued with a caution, and proceeded against at magistrates courts for offences under section 1 of the Confiscation of Alcohol (Young Persons) Act 1997 in England and Wales for the years 2004 to 2006 can be viewed in the following table.
	The offence is not one for which a PND (penalty notice for disorder) can be issued, as it is not part of the scheme.
	
		
			  N umber of persons issued with a caution, and proceeded against at magistrates courts for offences under section 1 of the Confiscation of Alcohol (Young Persons) Act 1997 in England and Wales for the years 2004 - 06( 1, 2, 3, 4) 
			   Proceeded against  Caution 
			 2004 12 2 
			 2005 14 10 
			 2006 19 5 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2 )Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts, other agencies, and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3 )From 1 June 2000 the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and final warnings. The total figure of reprimands and final warnings makes up cautions. (4 )Data include the following statute and corresponding offence description: Confiscation of Alcohol (Young Persons) Act 1997 Sec.1. Police Reform Act 2002 Sch.4 para.6 (Confiscation of Alcohol (Young Persons) Act 1997 S.1). Failure to surrender intoxicating liquor and/or to state name and address. Contravening a community support officer's requirement to surrender liquor.  Source:  Court proceedings data held by RDS—Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Ministry of Justice

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were  (a) cautioned,  (b) prosecuted and  (c) given a penalty notice for disorder for buying or attempting to buy alcohol on behalf of a person under 18 years old in each of the last three years for which information is available.

Vernon Coaker: The number of persons issued with a caution, penalty notice for disorder or proceeded against at magistrates courts for offences relating to buying or attempting to buy alcohol on behalf of a person aged under 18 years in England and Wales for the years 2004 to 2006 can be viewed in the following tables 1 and 2.
	
		
			  N umber of persons issued with a caution, and proceeded against at magistrates courts for certain alcohol offences in England and Wales for the years 2004 - 06( 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) 
			   Offence description 
			   Buying or attempting to buy intoxicating liquor for consumption by a person under 18. Purchasing intoxicating liquor for consumption by person under 18 in bar  Person who buys or attempts to buy alcohol on behalf of an individual under 18. 
			   Proceeded against  Cautions( 3)  Proceeded against  Cautions( 3) 
			 2004 38 14 (6)— (6)— 
			 2005 29 12 (6)— 2 
			 2006 14 11 18 13 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Data include the following offence descriptions and corresponding statutes:  Buying or attempting to buy intoxicating liquor for consumption by a person under 18.  Purchasing intoxicating liquor for consumption by person under 18 in bar.  Licensing (Occasional Permissions) Act 1983 Schedule (Sec 3) para 4(3). Licensing Act 1964 Sec 169(3).  Person who buys or attempts to buy alcohol on behalf of an individual under 18.  Licensing Act 2003 S149(3,4,7b) (3) From 1 June 2000 the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and final warnings. Reprimands and final warnings are included in the abovementioned data. (4 )The Licensing Act 2003 came into force on 24 November 2005. (5 )Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts, other agencies, and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (6 )Nil  Source:  Court proceedings data held by RDS—Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Ministry of Justice 
		
	
	
		
			  N umber of persons issued with a penalty notice for disorder for the offences purchasing alcohol for under 18 and purchasing alcohol for under 18 for consumption on premises in England and Wales for the years 2004 - 06( 1, 2, 3, 4) 
			   Purchase alcohol for person under 18  Purchase alcohol for person under 18 for consumption on premises 
			 2004 18 66 
			 2005 170 83 
			 2006 407 60 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2 )Data include the following offence descriptions and corresponding statute:  Buys or attempts to buy alcohol on behalf of person under 18 s149(3) of the Licensing Act 2003  Buys or attempts to buy alcohol for consumption on relevant premises by person under 18. s149(4) of the Licensing Act 2003 (3 )New legislative reference with effect from, 24 November 2005 on implementation of Licensing Act 2003 (4 )Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts, other agencies, and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source:  Court proceedings data held by RDS—Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Ministry of Justice

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders were  (a) issued and  (b) breached since 31 December 2005, broken down by criminal justice system area.

Vernon Coaker: Data on how many antisocial behaviour orders have been issued and breached since 31 December 2005 are not yet available. Data from 1 January to 31 December for 2006 are due to be published shortly.

Asylum

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will place in the Library copies of information provided about the Case Resolution Directorate to the legal representatives of individuals whose cases are to be considered by the Case Resolution Directorate; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: No such guidance has been provided to legal representatives of individuals whose cases are being considered by the Case Resolution Directorate. Information about the Case Resolution Directorate can be found on the UK Border Agency website.

Crimes of Violence: Dorset

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes of violence against the person were recorded in West Dorset constituency in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: Statistics are not collected specifically on a constituency basis. The Home Office does publish statistics at Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) area level. The number of offences of violence against the person for each of the last five years by CDRP is available on the Home Office website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs08/cdrpog.xls
	Also available is a look-up table that identifies which constituencies are associated with CDRPs. In many instances, a CDRP may comprise of more than one constituency. Conversely, some constituencies will come within two or more CDRPs, either wholly or partially. The look-up table is available at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs08/cdrp-constituency-table.xls
	Copies of both the statistics table and the look-up table are available in the Library.

Crimes of Violence: Hertfordshire

David Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes involving violence against a person were recorded in  (a) South West Hertfordshire and  (b) Watford constituency in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: Statistics are not collected specifically on a constituency basis. The Home Office does publish statistics at Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) area level. The number of offences of violence against the person for each of the last five years by CDRP is available on the Home Office website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs08/cdrpog.xls
	Also available is a look-up table that identifies which constituencies are associated with CDRPs. In many instances, a CDRP may comprise of more than one constituency. Conversely, some constituencies will come within two or more CDRPs, either wholly or partially. The look-up table is available at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs08/cdrp-constituency-table.xls
	Copies of both the statistics table and the look-up table are available in the Libraries of the House.

Crimes of Violence: Market Harborough

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes of violence against the person were recorded in Harborough constituency in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: Statistics are not collected specifically on a constituency basis. The Home Office does publish statistics at Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) area level. The number of offences of violence against the person for each of the last five years by CDRP is available on the Home Office website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs08/cdrpog.xls
	Also available is a look-up table that identifies which constituencies are associated with CDRPs. In many instances, a CDRP may comprise of more than one constituency. Conversely, some constituencies will come within two or more CDRPs, either wholly or partially. The look-up table is available at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs08/cdrp-constituency-table.xls
	Copies of both the statistics table and the look-up table are available in the Library.

Criminal Records: Young People

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people under the age of 18 years gained a criminal record in each year since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: Although annual figures for each year since 1997 are not available, the Statistical Bulletins on juvenile re-offending published by the Ministry of Justice show quarterly figures for the number of offenders aged 10-17, who at the time of receiving a reprimand, final warning or conviction had no previous offences.
	Figures are available for cohorts of offenders from the first quarters of 2000, 2004 and 2005. The cohorts are constructed in order to measure re-offending and therefore exclude juveniles receiving custodial sentences but include juveniles discharged from custody during each quarter.
	The numbers of juveniles with no previous offences in each of the quarterly cohorts were as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2000 21,546 
			 2004 23,379 
			 2005 24,739 
		
	
	These figures have been derived from the police's administrative IT system, which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Departmental Alcoholic Drinks

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department at how many events held by her Department  (a) wine and  (b) Fairtrade wine were served in the last three years; and what assessment her Department has made of the merits of serving Fairtrade wine at future events.

Liam Byrne: Figures for the number of events held by my Department at which wine was served are not available. Fairtrade wine is not currently offered at the Home Office HQ at 2 Marsham Street but the facilities provider will be invited to make an assessment of the merits of doing so at future events.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department has adopted the Carbon Trust's Carbon Management Programme or plans to do so in the next 12 months.

Liam Byrne: My Department has committed to working with the Carbon Trust to address its carbon emissions.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department met the target in the sustainable operations on the Government estate to reverse the then upward trend in carbon emissions by April 2007.

Liam Byrne: My Department did not meet the sustainable operations target on the Government office estate to reverse the then upward trend in carbon emissions by April 2007. The target related to the Department's offices which increased substantially in number through the inclusion in the figures of the national probation service estate. After allowing for this, an increase in emissions of 12 per cent. occurred. There are a range of other factors that need to be taken into account, including density of occupation, IT provision and use of air-conditioning across the estate.

Departmental Fixed Penalties

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fixed penalty tickets were incurred by vehicles within the purview of her Department in the last five years; and what the total cost was.

Vernon Coaker: This information is not collected centrally.

Departmental Public Relations

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many external contracts her Department held with public relations companies in each of the last 10 years; and what the total cost of those contracts was.

Liam Byrne: Government policies and programmes affect the lives of millions of people, and in order for them to work they must be communicated effectively. The Home Office communicates directly to the public through individual campaigns that provide advice, information and reassurance. These campaigns are often supported by paid-for PR activity which is essential to ensure broader reach of our target audiences.
	The following information details the number, nature and cost of PR contracts for the last five years (not including the current financial year). The costs include resources required to generate PR and any necessary supporting materials. Collating information for the last 10 years would incur disproportionate costs in terms of staff time.
	
		
			  Nature of PR contract  Cost (£) 
			  2002-03  
			  Contracts (Number) 4 
			  Total cost 257,484 
			 Drugs Misuse 79,219 
			 Criminal Justice 36,900 
			 Mobile Phone Safety 44,190 
			 Child Protection on the Internet 97,175 
			   
			  2003-04  
			  Contracts (Number) 5 
			  Total cost 975,909 
			 Holocaust Memorial Day 44,142 
			 Security Industry Authority 150,573 
			 Domestic Violence 75,000 
			 Sexual Offences Act 56,465 
			 Citizenship 650,729 
			   
			  2004-05  
			  Contracts (Number) 13 
			  Total cost 3,037,320 
			 Mobile Phone Safety 44,190 
			 Acquisitive Crime Reduction 260,373.99 
			 Antisocial Behaviour 646,570 
			 Sexual Offences Act 128,359 
			 Criminal Justice 982,410 
			 Domestic Violence 75,000 
			 Year of the Volunteer 210,789.95 
			 Police—High Potential Development 62,760 
			 Alcohol and Violent Crime 501,692 
			 Drugs 71,239 
			 Communities 18,412 
			 Familial Homicide 4,940 
			 Holocaust Memorial Day 30,586 
			   
			  2005-06  
			  Contracts (Number) 7 
			  Total cost 1,377,633 
			 Antisocial Behaviour 363,040 
			 Criminal Justice 265,780 
			 Year of the Volunteer 74,027 
			 Police—High Potential Development 41,400 
			 Community Support Officers Recruitment 2,380 
			 Tackling Violent Crime 156,620 
			 Drugs 474,386 
			   
			  2006-07  
			  Contracts (Number) 7 
			  Total cost 975,301 
			 Criminal Justice 174,473 
			 Community Sentences 193,181 
			 Drugs 374,666 
			 Single Non Emergency Number Pilots 29,186 
			 Community Support Officers Recruitment 113,511 
			 Police—High Potential Development 28,716 
			 Respect 61,568

Departmental Publications

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance is issued to members of her Department on the authorship and publication on the internet of material relating to their official duties; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The Civil Service Code, the Civil Service Management Code and Propriety Guidance on Government Communications, all provide guidance to staff on the publication of material relating to their official duties. Copies of each of these are in the Libraries of the House. They are also available on the Cabinet Office website at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/

Departmental Sustainable Development

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department is on course to meet the sustainable operations on the Government estate targets  (a) to source at least 10 per cent. of its electricity from renewables by 31 March 2008 and  (b) to increase recycling figures to 40 per cent. of waste by 2010.

Liam Byrne: I direct the right hon. Member to the 2007 Sustainable Development in Government report, a copy of which is held in the House of Commons Library.

Departmental Sustainable Development

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department is working towards an accredited certified environmental management system  (a) for its whole estate and  (b) in some of its buildings.

Liam Byrne: My Department's facilities supplier has implemented an accredited ISO 14001 environmental management system in our 2 Marsham Street headquarters building. My Department is also working toward accredited certified environmental management systems in some of its other buildings within the framework of a corporate environmental management system.

Deportation: EU Countries

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will raise in the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council the procedures for notifying other member states when a member state deports an EU national from another state following conviction for a serious criminal offence; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The UK Border Agency may disclose information to a foreign Government regarding an individual's criminal conviction provided the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998 and Human Rights Act 1998 are met.

Domestic Violence

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications have been made under the domestic violence rule; and how many have included children in the last three years.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 21 April 2008
	The number of applications received under the domestic violence rule in the last three years is 3,505. Of these 3,505 applications, 570 included one or more children as part of the application.

Entry Clearance: Employment

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department further to the answer of 14 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1048W, on entry clearances: employment, if she will give a breakdown by nationality of those receiving leave to  (a) enter and  (b) remain under the International Graduate Scheme.

Liam Byrne: The information is provided in the following tables:
	 (a) Leave to enter in Table A
	The difference in total from that previously indicated is that the figures provided are up to 31 December 2007.
	 (b) Leave to remain in Table B
	The figures quoted are not provided under National Statistics protocols and have been derived from local management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change.
	
		
			  Table A: Leave to enter 
			  Nationality  Number of people 
			 Albania (1)— 
			 Australia (1)— 
			 Bahrain (1)— 
			 Bangladesh 5 
			 Brazil 5 
			 British national overseas 25 
			 Brunei (1)— 
			 Burma (Myanmar) (1)— 
			 Canada 15 
			 Chile (1)— 
			 China 80 
			 Egypt 5 
			 Ethiopia (1)— 
			 Ghana (1)— 
			 Hong Kong 20 
			 India 150 
			 Indonesia (1)— 
			 Iran 5 
			 Israel 5 
			 Jamaica (1)— 
			 Japan 50 
			 Jordan 5 
			 Kazakhstan (1)— 
			 Kenya 5 
			 Lebanon (1)— 
			 Malawi (1)— 
			 Malaysia 110 
			 Mauritius 10 
			 Mexico 5 
			 Moldova (1)— 
			 Nepal (1)— 
			 Niger (1)— 
			 Nigeria 5 
			 Oman (1)— 
			 Pakistan 10 
			 Palestinian authority (1)— 
			 Peru (1)— 
			 Philippines (1)— 
			 Russia 5 
			 Seychelles (1)— 
			 Sierra Leone (1)— 
			 Singapore 10 
			 South Africa (1)— 
			 South Korea 10 
			 Sri Lanka 5 
			 St. Lucia (1)— 
			 Sudan 5 
			 Taiwan 35 
			 Tanzania (1)— 
			 Thailand 15 
			 Trinidad and Tobago (1)— 
			 Turkey 5 
			 Uganda (1)— 
			 United States 35 
			 Uzbekistan (1)— 
			 Vietnam 5 
			 Yugoslavia (1)— 
			 Zambia (1)— 
			 Zimbabwe (1)— 
			 Total 690 
			 (1) Indicates one or two 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B: Leave to remain 
			  Nationality  Number of people 
			 Afghanistan (1)— 
			 Albania 10 
			 Algeria 10 
			 Angola 5 
			 Antigua and Barbuda (1)— 
			 Argentina 5 
			 Armenia 5 
			 Australia 30 
			 Azerbaijan 5 
			 Bahamas (1)— 
			 Bahrain (1)— 
			 Bangladesh 215 
			 Barbados 10 
			 Belarus 10 
			 Belize (1)— 
			 Benin 5 
			 Bosnia and Herzegovina 5 
			 Botswana 10 
			 Brazil 40 
			 British National (Overseas) 85 
			 British Overseas Citizen 5 
			 Brunei Darussalam (1)— 
			 Burkina Faso (1)— 
			 Burundi (1)— 
			 Cameroon 35 
			 Canada 65 
			 Cape Verde (1)— 
			 Chile 5 
			 China (Peoples Republic of China) 1,405 
			 Colombia 40 
			 Congo (1)— 
			 Costa Rica (1)— 
			 Cote D'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) 5 
			 Croatia 5 
			 Democratic People's Republic of Korea (1)— 
			 Dominican Republic 5 
			 Ecuador 5 
			 Egypt 15 
			 Ethiopia 5 
			 Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (1)— 
			 Gambia 25 
			 Georgia 10 
			 Ghana 195 
			 Grenada (1)— 
			 Guatemala (1)— 
			 Guinea (1)— 
			 Guyana (1)— 
			 Honduras (1)— 
			 Hong Kong SAR of China (holder of certificate of identity or document of identity) (1)— 
			 Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China 40 
			 India 1,395 
			 Indonesia 35 
			 Iran (Islamic Republic of) 75 
			 Iraq 5 
			 Israel 20 
			 Jamaica 45 
			 Japan 130 
			 Jordan 25 
			 Kampuchea (1)— 
			 Kazakhstan 20 
			 Kenya 150 
			 Kuwait 5 
			 Kyrgyzstan 5 
			 Latvia (1)— 
			 Lebanon 20 
			 Libya 20 
			 Macao Special Administrative Region of China 5 
			 Macedonia (Former Yugoslav Republic of) 5 
			 Madagascar (1)— 
			 Malawi 25 
			 Malaysia 415 
			 Maldives 5 
			 Mauritius 140 
			 Mexico 30 
			 Moldova, Republic of 5 
			 Mongolia 10 
			 Morocco 5 
			 Mozambique 5 
			 Myanmar 30 
			 Namibia 5 
			 Nepal 45 
			 New Zealand 10 
			 Nigeria 835 
			 Pakistan 790 
			 Palestinian Authority (1)— 
			 Panama (1)— 
			 Paraguay (1)— 
			 Peru 15 
			 Philippines 15 
			 Refugee—Other (1)— 
			 Republic of Montenegro (1)— 
			 Republic of Serbia 5 
			 Romania (1)— 
			 Russian Federation 115 
			 Rwanda (1)— 
			 Saudi Arabia (1)— 
			 Senegal 5 
			 Seychelles 5 
			 Sierra Leone 15 
			 Singapore 25 
			 South Africa 35 
			 South Korea (Rep of Korea) 135 
			 Sri Lanka 330 
			 St Kitts and Nevis (1)— 
			 St Vincent and the Grenadines 10 
			 St. Lucia 10 
			 Sudan 10 
			 Swaziland 5 
			 Syria Arab Republic 15 
			 Taiwan (Republic of China) 65 
			 Tajikistan (1)— 
			 Thailand 55 
			 Togo (1)— 
			 Trinidad and Tobago 25 
			 Tunisia (1)— 
			 Turkey 95 
			 Turkmenistan (1)— 
			 Uganda 55 
			 Ukraine 35 
			 United Arab Emirates (1)— 
			 United Rep of Tanzania 45 
			 United States of America 225 
			 Uzbekistan 15 
			 Venezuela 15 
			 Vietnam 30 
			 Yemen 5 
			 Zambia 25 
			 Zimbabwe 110 
			 Total 8,200 
			 (1) Indicates one or two  Notes: 1. The data in this publication are based on management information, are provisional and may be subject to change. The data are not National Statistics. 2. Figures rounded to nearest five. Because of rounding, figures may not add up to totals shown.

Genetics: Databases

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people living in Romford were registered on the national DNA database at the most recent date for which figures are available.

Meg Hillier: It is not possible to provide figures for the number of people registered on the National DNA Database (NDNAD) who are resident in a particular area, as the NDNAD does not hold address details.

Heathrow Airport: Security

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason it was decided to take fingerprint impressions from domestic transfer passengers at Heathrow airport; and what use was to be made of the information gathered.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 21 April 2008
	In the building of Terminal 5 at Heathrow, the British Airports Authority (BAA) took the decision to introduce a Common Departure Lounge (CDL). BAA was required to ensure that any immigration risks arising from the mixing of domestic and international passengers were mitigated.
	It is the intention that the admission of domestic passengers into the lounge will be controlled by means of biometric fingerprint enrolment together with a digital photograph, the details of which will then be validated at boarding. This system will ensure that only those individuals entitled to travel within the UK as a domestic passenger can do so. However, to ensure that the proposed system is fully validated by the Information Commissioner, it has been agreed that the system will operate using only digital photography until such validation is given.
	BAA has undertaken that all data obtained will immediately be encrypted and destroyed within 24 hours in accordance with the Data Protection Act. They have confirmed that data stored do not include any personal details and are not cross referenced with any other database or organisation.

Illegal Immigrants: China

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Chinese people have been arrested during raids carried out under the stop illegal working campaign; how many of those were found to be  (a) illegal workers and  (b) employers of illegal workers; and, of those found to be illegal workers, how many have been (i) deported, (ii) detained and (iii) released on bail.

Liam Byrne: From 14 January 2008 to 31 March 122 Chinese nationals were arrested following illegal working operations, all of whom were found to be working illegally. We do not record the nationality of employers of illegal workers arrested. This information is derived from provisional local management information which may be subject to change.
	Information relating to questions (i) (ii) (iii) could be obtained only by the detailed examination of individual records at disproportionate cost.

Illegal Immigrants: Employment

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many of the raids conducted under the stop illegal working campaign were the illegal workers discovered of predominantly  (a) Chinese,  (b) Indian,  (c) Pakistani and  (d) Malaysian nationality.

Liam Byrne: This information is not recorded.

Immigrants: Personal Records

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what data her Department collects from landing cards completed by migrants arriving in the UK; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: All passengers who are citizens of countries outside of the European Economic Area and who arrive in the United Kingdom from outside of the Common Travel Area are required to complete their name, date of birth, nationality, gender, address in the United Kingdom and signature on a landing card.
	In cases where a passenger has been granted leave to enter, immigration officers will place any conditions of entry and an admission category on the landing card. In certain circumstances immigration officers will make notes on the reverse of the landing card about a passenger's intentions and duration of stay and will record details of their travel document. In cases such as these, landing cards are copied and retained on microfiche.

Immigration: Detainees

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance is issued to police forces on the holding of immigration detainees in police cells; and if she will place in the Library a copy of such guidance.

Liam Byrne: The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) applies to all persons detained in police custody, including those detained under immigration legislation. Copies of PACE are available in the Library.
	No additional guidance specifically for immigration detainees has been issued.

Immigration: Fees and Charges

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will amend the Fees Regulations for applications for indefinite leave to remain to allow for payment by instalments in exceptional circumstances.

Liam Byrne: We do not have any plans to make changes to the fee regulations to allow payment by instalments.

Immigration: Forced Marriage

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what data her Department collects in respect of immigration applications arising from forced marriage.

Meg Munn: I have been asked to reply.
	The joint Foreign and Commonwealth Office/Home Office Forced Marriage Unit records a variety of data on cases they handle where the sponsor of an immigration application informs the unit that they have been forced into marriage and are reluctantly sponsoring the application. Since 2006 the Forced Marriage Unit has handled the following numbers of reluctant sponsor cases:
	2006: 92 cases (69 Pakistan, 12 India, 10 Bangladesh, 1 Sudan);
	2007: 95 cases (63 Pakistan, 15 Bangladesh, 11 India, 1 United Arab Emirates, 1 Albania, 2 Yemen, 1 Jordan, 1 Turkey); and
	2008: (to date) - 67 cases (63 Pakistan, 3 Bangladesh, 1 India).

Immigration: Forms

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what forms individuals seeking  (a) indefinite leave to remain,  (b) asylum,  (c) visa entry to the UK and  (d) UK citizenship are required by her Department to complete.

Liam Byrne: The forms to be completed for each of the purposes requested are set out in the following table:
	Further information as to which form should be used for a particular purpose can be found on the UK Border Agency website or, in the case of visa entry to the UK, is available from British Diplomatic posts abroad.
	
		
			  Purpose sought  Forms to be completed  Comment 
			 Indefinite leave to remain One of the following: The form to be used is dependent on the grounds for seeking indefinite leave to remain 
			  SET(M)  
			  SET(F)  
			  SET(O)  
			  SET(DV)  
			  BUS  
			  ELR  
			 Asylum No form required Asylum seekers are required to claim in person. They are required to sign a form completed at interview 
			 Visa Entry to the UK One of the following: The form to be used is dependent on the purpose of visa sought. 
			  VAF1  
			  VAF2  
			  VAF3  
			  VAF4  
			 UK Citizenship One of the following: The form to be used is dependent on the grounds for seeking UK Citizenship 
			  AN  
			  B(OS)  
			  B(OTA)  
			  EM  
			  MN1  
			  RS1  
			  T  
			  UKM  
			  Or one of these forms, now rarely used:  
			  G  
			  51  
			  52  
			  53  
			  WW

Karian and Box

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the value was of each contract awarded by her Department to Karian and Box since 1997.

Liam Byrne: From best available records the Home Department inclusive of its executive agencies has not awarded contracts to Karian and Box.

Members: Correspondence

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when her Department expects to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Aylesbury of 27th October 2007 about the case of Mr J K of Aylesbury (reference B30208/7; \\\\\k1031482/3) about which the hon. Member wrote to the Border and Immigration Agency on 24th January.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 21 April 2008
	The UK Border Agency wrote to the hon. Member in relation to this matter on 27 February 2008. A further letter was sent on 4 April 2008.

Offensive Weapons

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences involving use of a knife there were in  (a) each London borough and  (b) England and Wales, broken down by type of offence, in the last 10 years; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: It is not possible to identify those offences which are knife-related from the data centrally collected on recorded crime. However, since April 2007, police forces have been providing separate aggregate data on serious violence involving knives. Home Office statisticians will assess the quality of these data and it is planned that figures for 2007-08 will be published in the main crime bulletin in July 2008.
	Available data from the Homicide Index relate to offences currently recorded as homicide where the apparent method of killing is 'sharp instrument'. Between 1997-98 and 2006-07 police in England and Wales recorded 2,333 such homicides, 635 of which were recorded by the City of London or Metropolitan police forces. These data cannot be broken down to a more local level than police force area.
	The Government fully recognise the importance of tackling knife crime. This is a complex issue and we are using a variety of measures, encompassing legislation, enforcement, education and prevention, to address it. On 18 February we published a new Tackling Violence Action Plan, outlining plans to tackle serious violence, including knife crime.

Press

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many press office staff were employed by  (a) her Department,  (b) its agencies and  (c) its non-departmental public bodies (i) in each year since 1996-97 and (ii) at the latest date for which information is available.

Liam Byrne: Media relations for the whole Department and agencies are handled by the Home Office Communication Directorate based press office. Press office staff who deal with the media are employed at the information and senior information officer grades.
	The following table provides information on the numbers of staff employed or managed by the Communication Directorate during the past 10 years. Data on staff numbers in earlier years and non-departmental bodies are not held centrally and could be collected only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			   Press officers 
			 1999 13 
			 2000 16 
			 2001(1) 31 
			 2002 35 
			 2003 39 
			 2004 43 
			 2005 38 
			 2006(2) 34 
			 2007 35 
			 March 2008(3) 32 
			 (1) Prison Service and core Home Office press office merged. (2) The total number of press officers for 2006 onwards. Includes two part timers, who are employed as a job share. (3) Machinery of Government changes May 2007, 11 press officer posts transferred to the Ministry of Justice. The total also includes five Border and Immigration Agency regional press officers; whose posts were created in 2007.

Prisoners: Foreigners

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what data are held by her Department on non-UK national detainees released from prison without notification to the Department at the time; and what estimate she has made of the number of non-UK national detainees not included in data at all, as referred to by the National Audit Office report Asylum and Migration: a review of Home Office statistics (HC (2003-04) 625) of 25 May 2004.

Liam Byrne: The section of the National Audit Office report on Asylum and Migration statistics published on 25 May 2004 to which is referred relates to the accuracy of statistics held by IND (now known as the UK Border Agency) governing the number of individuals held in detention for immigration reasons.
	Since the report was published, the DELMIS system, to which it referred, has been superseded by a different system known as the Case Information Database (CID). This is designed for use within all areas of the agency as opposed to just the Detention Service Directorate. It is through CID that the agency is able to ensure that it keeps accurate records on all individuals' immigration cases as well as ensuring that caseworkers are aware of where an individual resided or whether they were detained.
	The chief executive of the UK Border Agency has written to the Home Affairs Committee on several occasions over the past 18 months and explained that we have reviewed and strengthened our processes in identifying those foreign nationals serving custodial sentences and should be considered for deportation following the events of April 2006.

Rape

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many allegations of rape were reported to the police by  (a) women and  (b) men in each of the last 10 years; how many reports of rape resulted in prosecutions; and how many such prosecutions were successful in each year.

Vernon Coaker: Details on the number of allegations of rape are not collected centrally.
	The Home Office collects crime statistics on the numbers of rape offences recorded by the police in England and Wales and data for 1997 to 2006-07 are given in table 1.
	Data showing the number of defendants proceeded against and found guilty of rape, in England and Wales, 1997 to 2006 are shown in table 2.
	The figures given in table 2 relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the offence selected is the one for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	Police recorded crime (notifiable) data and court proceedings data are not directly comparable. Recorded crime data, published on a financial year basis, concentrate on the numbers of offences and detections, whereas court proceedings data are published on a calendar year basis and concentrate on defendants.
	
		
			  Table 1: number of recorded offences of female and male rape, England and Wales, 1997 to 2006-07 
			   Offences recorded 
			 1997 6,628 
			 1997-98(1) 6,898 
			 1998-99(2,3) 7,636 
			 1999-2000(2,3) 8,409 
			 2000-01(2,3) 8,593 
			 2001-02(2,3) 9,734 
			 2002-03(4,5) 12,295 
			 2003-04(4,5) 13,272 
			 2004-05(4,5,6) 14,013 
			 2005-06(4,5,6) 14,443 
			 2006-07(4,5,6) 13,780 
			 (1) The number of crimes recorded in that financial year using the coverage and is in use until 31 March 1998. (2) The coverage was extended and counting rules revised from 1998-99. Figures from that date are not directly comparable with those for earlier years. (3) These data are prior to the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard. These figures are not directly comparable with those for later years. (4) These data take account of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for earlier years. (5) Includes British Transport Police from 2002-03. (6) The Sexual Offences Act 2003, introduced in May 2004, altered the definition and coverage of sexual offences. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for rape( 1) , England and Wales, 1997 to 2006( 2,3) 
			   Proceeded against  Found guilty 
			 1997 1,961 618 
			 1998 2,185 675 
			 1999 2,169 659 
			 2000(4) 2,046 598 
			 2001 2,651 572 
			 2002 2,945 655 
			 2003 2,790 673 
			 2004 2,689 751 
			 2005 2,826 796 
			 2006 2,567 863 
			 (1) Includes rape of a female, rape of a male, attempted rape of a female and attempted rape of a male. (2) These data are on the principal offence basis. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (4) Staffordshire police force were only able to supply a sample of data for magistrates courts proceedings covering one full week in each quarter for 2000. Estimates based on this sample are included in the figures.

Vandalism: Bus Services

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences of criminal damage to bus shelters were recorded in  (a) Wiltshire and  (b) Swindon in 2007; how many (i) prosecutions and (ii) convictions resulted; and if she will estimate the number of unrecorded offences of criminal damage to bus shelters in (A) Wiltshire and (B) Swindon in 2007.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested is not available centrally. Offences of criminal damage to bus shelters would be recorded under the Home Office classification 'Other criminal damage' and such offences cannot be separately identified from other offences recorded within that classification. For the same reason, statistics for prosecutions and convictions are not available from the court proceedings database held by the Ministry of Justice.
	It is not possible to estimate the number of unrecorded offences of criminal damage to bus shelters.

Zurich Financial Services

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department paid to Zurich Financial Services in each year since 1997; and what the purpose of the payment was in each case.

Liam Byrne: The Home Office's accounting systems hold the following records of payments to Zurich Financial Services.
	
		
			  £ 
			  Purpose  2005-06( 1)  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Rent and service charge for accommodation 6,962.50 — — 
			 Rent and service charge for accommodation 6,962.50 — — 
			 Rent and service charge for accommodation 6,962.50 — — 
			 Rent and service charge for accommodation 14,828.21 — — 
			 Rent and service charge for accommodation 10,417.19 — — 
			 Rent and service charge for accommodation 6,962.50 — — 
			 Vehicle insurance 225.71 — — 
			 Rent and service charge for accommodation — 6,962.50 — 
			 Rent and service charge for accommodation — 6,962.50 — 
			 Rent and service charge for accommodation — 6,962.50 — 
			 Building insurance — 9,622.93 — 
			 Rent and service charge for accommodation — 6,918.00 — 
			 Rent and service charge for accommodation — — 8,426.37 
			 Rent and service charge for accommodation — — 8,292.91 
			 Annual total 53,321.11 37,428.43 16,719.28 
			 (1) 2005-06 covers payments for 2003-04 and 2004-05 as well as 2005-06.